Ginny's Story
by stephiibabii515
Summary: Everyone thinks Harry's dead. Voldemort defeated him. Ginny's locked up, and it seems like no one can save her. Until one Draco Malfoy comes into the picture...but will she still be in love with harry when he returns? Or will she choose Malfoy? COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

Everyone thinks Harry died…Voldemort killed him, right? Well, not really. Harry pulled a Voldemort-biding his time, lying in the weeds, waiting to strike. There is just one problem-everyone he loves doesn't know. This is Ginny's story.


	2. In the Cell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters, creatures, and probably words in this entire thing so I'm only doing this once...I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER...carry on!!**

* * *

Voldmort had won. Period. End of story. There was nothing they could do. Harry was dead, their one savior. Ginny paced around her small cell, located down in the dungeons. A small hole was cut out of the bricks on each side of the room, broken away by Ginny's hairclip. Neville was leaning on the other side of one wall; Ron on the other. They all had passed her clip around, and now, Ron, Hermoine, Neville, Luna, and Ginny could talk together. Luna was sharing a cell with Neville, not thought of how bad that would be. No one saw them as courageous; no one saw them as smart. Just stupid little kids wanting the spotlight. The others had been split up, Hermoine on the other side of Ron. 

"I don't know what to do. Let me think." Ginny said, getting aggravated at how everyone thought she was the leader now. Just because she dated Harry. Ginny didn't dare to even think of him. Harry was gone, never coming back.

Ron sighed, bringing Ginny out of her love struck thoughts.

"Look, if you think you can do better, be my guest." Ginny yelled, sitting down on the cold concrete.

"Gins, don't do that. We all have to do this together. And Ronald, be quiet. She _is_ the youngest here, and she hasn't had the best time so far."

_Just like Hermoine._ Ginny thought, not daring to yell at Hermoine when she was trying to stand up for her _Always speaking her mind and bringing back bad memories. Like I didn't know this has been the week from hell._

"Thanks, Hermy." Everyone laughed, if not wholeheartedly. Hermoine huffed, folding her arms across her chest. A sudden bang shocked everyone into silence. They each slipped the stone into the right holes, and waited. Ginny's door opened, immersing the small room in light. She winced, waiting to be grabbed by the arm and pulled upright.

But the door closed. Someone was inside, scuffling around. A small light came out of the tip of a wand, illuminating a man's face. Thin as it was, he looked as powerful as he always did when Ginny saw him. He conjured up a chair and sat down, as comfortable as if he was up in his own common room, picking on some helpless first-years instead of in a cellar talking to a prisoner.

"Ginny." He nodded to her, and Ron gasped, obviously listening too closely through the only exposed hole now being covered by Ginny's back.

"Malfoy." Ginny replied, not bothering to keep the sneer out of her voice.

_Oh, great. _Thought Draco. _Another person that hates me. What a wonderful week._

"How's it been going down here?"

_What the hell is he asking? Of course it isn't good. Coward._

"Fantastic. We were just about to have a picnic. Care to join?" Ginny replied, almost too sarcastically. She smiled triumphantly, fighting Draco's scowl.

* * *

In the next room, Ron was replaying everything to Hermoine, while also listening to Ginny and the scum Malfoy, which was turning out to be very hard. 

"Bloody hell, she really said that?" Hermoine asked, trying to get closer to her friends, leaning against the wall with such force that she would fall flat on her face if the wall somehow vanished.

Ron smiled, looking through the now uncovered hole that separated him and the one person he wanted to hold right now, the one person he knew wouldn't push away.

"Shhh." The gasped, holding a finger to his mouth. Ginny and Malfoy had started talking again, each of them lowering their voices slightly with every word, so quiet that Ron had to lean all the way onto his stomach, practically shoving his ear through the hole. He brushed against Ginny's back, who leaned up, letting him hear every word echoing in that cold, lonely cellar.

* * *

"You obviously didn't come down here to chit-chat." Ginny started, very irritated that he was the most cowardly Death Eater she had ever met. "What do you want?" She added coldly. 

"To talk about…" _Why do I have to bring this up?_

Ginny knew what this was about. She braced herself, waiting to hear his name. True remorse shone in Draco's eyes, and he refused to look towards her, focusing on the one loose stone across the room. Ginny examined his face, looking for any sign of knowledge, or even a sudden urge to tattle on them.

"Potter." Draco finished, spitting it out the same way he would say it to Voldemort. He turned to Ginny, who flashed with grief, instantly setting her face in cold stone. It pained Draco to see her like this: alone in a dark cell, mourning her dead boyfriend, who was going to ask for her to marry him after all this. He had heard Potter telling Weasley in the boy's lavatory last year, before they split to protect Ginny. Draco knew he would never forget that. He could never.

_

* * *

What's up mate? Ron asked, surveying Harry suspiciously. He had just been pulled into the boy's bathroom by his friend, who had been acting weird all day._

"_I've decided something, and I wanted to ask you first for your permission." He replied, looking under the stalls for feet. He wanted this to be a secret, until after everything took its course. Draco had his feet up on the toilet seat, hiding from Snape. He stayed quiet, wanting to know what the famous Potter needed permission to do._

"_Sure." Ron said, thinking of having to put his friend in a mental hospital if he kept this up._

"_After everything happens, if we both come out alright, I want to ask Ginny to marry me."_

_Ron was ecstatic and weary at the same time. He knew Ginny loved Harry, and Harry loved Ginny, but they would be so young, so immature. And they were his best friend and his sister, for Merlin's sake._

"_Of course after she graduates." Harry added rushed, watching Ron's face switch between emotions. __**He's almost too easy to read.**__ Harry thought. _

_Ron nodded, looking at Harry with a set face. "Sure you can." He said finally. Harry jumped up, punching the air. Ron grinned and hit his friend on the back, congratulating him on finding the one, even if it was his sister. _

_Meanwhile, Draco still sat, clutching his knees to his chest, breathing hard. It was the first time he envied Harry Potter, the time he wanted everything he had. No Voldemort trailing after him, watching his every move and controlling him like a small rag toy. No father trapped doing terrible things for fear of his son being killed. Draco had always had the money and the fame, the people who followed him like so many 'Potter-supporters' did. He even had more: he had a family, which Potter did not. But he never had someone to love, really love. He never had someone to wrap his arms around and call his own. As Potter and Weasley walked out, both grinning ear to ear, Draco put his feet on the ground, stumbling over everything he wanted, and would never have._

_

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_**Author's Note:** **Thanks everyone for reading! I want at least a few reviews before I post the next chapter and not all "really good" ones...don't mind criticism...so post sumthing and i'll talk to ya next chapter!**


	3. Torture

They'd been sitting there for what felt like hours. Ginny refused to talk, refused to think about Harry. But Draco needed help; insight on what Potter could have been doing before he was…killed. Even Draco couldn't bring himself to say that word.

He partly was responsible for Potter's death. Draco told Voldemort where he was. But he was doing it for a good cause—his father would be killed if he didn't. Draco kept telling himself that. He was doing it for the good of his family, even if he did potentially kill half the wizarding population and make all muggles their slaves.

He wiped the image of helpless muggles serving him, cleaning after him and begging him for forgiveness for the slightest misdoing. Draco tried to focus on the present, on Ginny glaring at him from the corner.

"I'm not telling you about _him_." Ginny said. She couldn't say his name, no matter how many times she tried. That would be like admitting he was gone, and she knew after that she would be broken, unable to try to escape, to help, to even live after that. She would welcome death, like a mother welcoming her eldest child home from college.

Draco grimaced, hitting the wall with his fists. He leaned his head against the cold rock, savoring the feel against his head, now burning against the stress building in his temples. What he wouldn't do for one of Pansy's famous massages. But she was at school, learning how to do Dark Magic, with all the other kids his age. But Draco already knew everything. He had all the time they were playing, hanging around at the Quidditch pitch and the big tree. He was too busy trying to regain his family's name, trying to save his father while appearing normal.

"Why do you want to know about him anyway?"

"He was doing something important against the Dark Lord when he was-"

"Yeah." Ginny said, unable to hear that word, especially out of _his_ mouth. The one that sold out her love, sent him to his own death, like he did to Dumbledore.

"The Dark Lord wants to know what he was doing. It might be important."

Ginny sighed, thinking back to the endless nights she sat up wondering the same question. Was he still alive and free, or was he already locked up like she was, or worse? She could feel Ron on the back of her neck, listening intently now.

" I don't even know what he was doing. He didn't tell me for reasons like this. He knew I would want to not tell, but I honestly don't know." She sounded so sincere, so honest. No one could lie that good.

Draco knew she didn't know. It was unlike Potter to put anyone in danger that didn't need to be. The other two wouldn't know either, or wouldn't tell at any rate. He had to admit: they were strong. He sighed, producing a patronous out of thin air. It was a fox, beautiful and graceful, standing there with his head held high, staring at Draco. Ginny squinted against the abnormally bright light. It vanished soon, only to be replaced with another bigger one, this time a bear standing on his hind legs. He faced Draco and opened his mouth.

"Use the Cruciatus on her until she talks." It disappeared, leaving behind a mist that hung in Ginny's eyes, masking her view with dots winking at her. Before she could react, another patronus was in front of her, Draco's again. It left.

Ginny stared at Draco, clearly scared now. She had already been tortured with the Cruciatus. Voldemort had a game of it, seeing who could make the different prisoners scream louder. No one cried out until they were locked back in the cells.

"Ginny-" Draco started to say, until he was cut off by a swirling black cloud now in the cell. Ginny squeezed as tight as she could into the corner, blocking the hole from view. She felt Ron's ear squish against the wall and let up until he could pull away.

In front of her stood Avery, one of the torture-mad Death Eaters she had the displeasure of meeting during their little 'game'. He was smiling at Draco, who was looking at Ginny, who was looking at Avery.

"So, afraid to hurt your little schoolmate, huh?" He asked, now walking around the cell, looking at Ginny. "I told them, a teenager shouldn't be aloud to do what the big boys should be doing." He shifted his look to Draco, who looked at him with a glare that could match Snape's.

"Crucio!" Avery cried, pointing his wand at Ginny.

* * *

Ron couldn't bear to hear his sister in pain anymore. He tried everything he could think about to get out and help her. But she was blocking the hole, moaning. Avery was laughing at the top of his lungs, another sound Ron couldn't stand. Hermoine was sitting in the corner, covering her ears. Her eyes were screwed up in frustration and she was rolled up so tight in a ball, Ron thought she might never get unraveled.

* * *

On the other side of Ginny's cell, Neville was talking to Luna, trying to block out the sound of their friend.

"We need to think of a way to get out of here. But we don't have a wand, and without that, we can't apparate, or even try fighting them. I guess if they take us out, we can make a run for it, but they would catch us in an instant. We can try to grab one of their wands. That shouldn't be very hard, but then they can just call for help, and by the time we get everyone out, we would be surrounded." Neville said all in one breath. He gasped for air, sucking in as much as he could. Luna was staring at the opposite wall, her eyes glazed over.

"Luna?" Neville asked tentatively. "Are you alright?"

"What if we never get out?" Luna asked in her sing-song voice. "No one has a wand, the only person who knows how to fight without one is Hermoine, and she is too distraught to think of a plan, and they're Death Eaters. I mean, a whole swarm of them could be upstairs, waiting for us to crack or die, whichever comes first."

It was the first time Neville had ever heard her say something negative before, even while they were fighting Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic. _This is bad. If she's not able to think positive, she may be right about not getting out of here._

Neville heard Ginny scream and cringed at the sound. It was the first time she had screamed while they were in there, Avery hitting her with every curse he could think of.

* * *

Draco couldn't stand to watch Ginny anymore. Her face was streaked with cuts, bright red blood falling down her cheeks and onto her robes, making her white collar spotted with red. Her red hair was stuck in the cuts, defiling every auburn strand there was. She was doubled over in pain, but didn't scream out. Instead, she bit her lip, forcing it down so hard that her teeth, too, were covered in blood. She had deep gashes where her teeth sunk in, and other cuts where Avery was hitting her with his spells: causing whips to hit her, her own mind to think it was in danger, and, each time he felt like it, burning spots in her forehead, like a cigarette.

He turned away, thinking of how good he will feel when this was over, when Voldemort became the most powerful wizard, and had no other troubles to worry about. Draco only hoped that happened soon.

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**So I've done two chapters so far and wanted to post one since I wouldn't be able to tomorrow. Sunday I'll probably have one up, though. Like it so far? All you have to do is hit that little blue button, right there. Below this. The one that says "Submit Review". Don't like it? Tell me why by hitting that button (the "submit review one"). Will respond to any questions and comments, and will change to different techniques if you guys want.**

**Sccrdiva **


	4. Draco Desire

**Okay, so I hope you all get this story so far. It's pretty basic up until now, but i'm starting to have fun with the plot line! See for yourself!! Enjoy!**

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When the torture was over, Ginny fell on her back, barely conscience. Draco and Avery left, seeing no more fun would come out of hurting her further.

"Ginny, are you alright? Ginny? Ginny!" Ron hurried over to the hole, where Ginny was still leaning against, refusing to leave that spot.

"Ron? Is she okay? Ginny! Answer please!" Hermoine was in tears, leaving wet streaks down her mud-caked face.

" 'Alm down. I'm fine" Ginny murmured, sliding to a laying position on the cold ground. Every inch of her hurt. She had burns across her chest and head, a wicked headache, and a broken heart. _Nothing could make this day worse._ Neville and Luna watched her from their side of the room, too shocked to say anything. Finally, Luna regained her voice.

"Gins, you-you were awesome out there. R-really good."

"Thanks." She mumbled into the cold concrete.

An echoing from down the hall shook them all out of their worried silence.

"Someone else is coming. Gin, you going to be alright?" Ron looked down at his helpless sister, struggling to sit up and cover the hole.

"Yeah." She groaned. "Just close up the hole before anyone sees it."

Ron grudgingly put the brick back in place and leaned against the hole, listening for any sudden sound.

_

* * *

I can't leave her like that. Not down there, all alone. It was my fault in the first place._ Draco stumbled down to the cellars. _If he doesn't know I'm here, I can still help her._ Once he was down the steps, Draco counted doors in his head. _One, two, three, four. This one's Ginny's door. _He stood outside it longer than he should have. _Why am I so afraid of going to talk to a Weasley? And she doesn't even have a wand, and can't leave._ But somewhere in the back of his brain was telling him otherwise. _You want Ginny to be yours. You love the blood traitor._ Draco shook his head, trying to force all those thoughts out of his mind for good. 

_Open it on the count of three. One, two, three._ He burst open the door. Ginny jumped, not expecting anyone to be there. Once she saw who it was, Ginny took a deep breath and looked away. Draco closed the door and sat in a newly-conjured chair.

"Listen, Weasley. I'm really sorry about all that. I didn't think he would do anything that bad to you. I mean, look at you, you're a wreck." _What a nice thing to say to a girl._ Ginny thought.

"Avery's upset that you did so well. The Dark Lord said he could come down and try again tomorrow. They're angry at how strong you are. Funny, kind of, how they used to say you were the weakest in the bunch, even next to Granger. Now they've seen how strong you all are. They've done the same to Granger and your brother, too. Just so that you don't feel left out. And I should probably shut up now."

_Where did that all come from? _Draco wondered. _I really shouldn't have said all that. If Avery finds out I said any of that, I'll be dead for sure. And I'd hate to see what Voldemort does to me._

_Wow. _Ginny thought. _Either he babbles when he's nervous, or he's a moron. But why should he be nervous? _

Ginny peered over at Malfoy. He had his head in his hands, and was mumbling about some engagement or something.

"Are you okay?" Malfoy looked up from his muttering.

"You shouldn't be the one asking. Even I couldn't withstand that much pain from someone like Avery, and you did it practically silent. That was…" Draco thought of a word that would encompass everything he thought of her into one sentence. "Amazing." Draco ended. _That's good, but amazing doesn't even begin to cover it._

"Thanks." Ginny blushed, the cleaner parts of her skin matching her vibrant hair. "So, why are you here?"

"I-" This was the part Draco hoped to avoid. "I wanted to see if I can help. Since you don't have a wand or anything, and you're sleeping on this hard ground." Draco twirled his wand feebly in the air, sending red flashes out of it each time around.

"Won't you get in trouble?" _Why is he doing this? That idiot's going to get himself killed, and I'll feel guilty the rest of my life._

Draco shrugged. "He won't hurt me as long as I know things about Harry. I'm using them as payment to him." _She's not going to let me do this without forcing it upon her._ Draco picked up his wand and stood up, walking over to her.

"Ferula." Bandages shot out of Draco's wand and wrapped themselves around Ginny's chest, neck, and stomach, winding in and out of her clothes. When they were done, Ginny looked up at Draco.

"Thanks." Ginny's smile seemed to light up the entire cell. Draco blushed, and spun around to hide his face.

"Well, it was my fault in the first place. It's the least I can do."

* * *

"He said what?"

"Hermoine, keep your voice down. That's what he said."

"What are they saying now?" Ron leaned closer to the hole, tapping Ginny's back. She scooted back towards the hole, completely blocking it from any noise.

"Something pretty juicy, because Ginny won't let me hear." A look of shock flushed Hermoine's face.

"Ron, you don't think he likes her, do you?" Ron lit up with joy and understanding.

"You know what Hermoine, I think he does."

"What a prat. Taking advantage of Ginny at a time like this. She just lost Harry, and now she might not see daylight again, and he's coming on to her."

"Uh, yeah. Prat, you're right." Ron mumbled, trying to stay on his girlfriend's good side. _It is a good idea, though._

* * *

"Are you going to be alright?"

"What do you mean?" _Please don't say what I think you're going to say…_

"About Potter. You guys had a thing, right?"

Ginny looked at the ground solemnly, thinking of that day when they first kissed.

"Yeah. But that doesn't matter now. He's…dead." Tears started pouring out of Ginny's eyes. Saying it out loud was like making it official. Draco instantly regretted bringing it up.

"Ginny. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up. Forget about me even saying anything." Draco bent down and sat next to her, wrapping an arm cautiously around her shoulders, aware of the bandages.

"It's just being stuck in here makes me realize what he was fighting against, and that he's not here with me. I mean, Ron and Hermoine have each other, Neville and Luna have each other, and I'm all alone." The tears started coming harder now, and soon, Ginny could not even make out the winding lines of the cement.

"Arg!" Draco got up, grasping his forearm. "I'm so sorry Ginny, but I have to go. I hope you feel better." And with a twist of his cloak, the one person who could comfort Ginny was gone.

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**So so so so so sooooo sorry it took me so long to update. Working on so much stuff right now I just wanted to make everything even and I updated this a lot so I had to do the other ones first. But i'm writing in advance now. R&R if you want the next chapter posted!!**


	5. The Cave, the discovery, and the plan

**Author's Note: This is such a big chapter,and I had so much fun writing it. I kept on going on to the next one, so it should be up by tomorrow. As long as I get some good reviews!!**_

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Recap: "It's just, being stuck in here makes me realize what he's fighting against, and that he's not here with me. I mean, Ron and Hermoine have eachother. Neville and Luna have eachother, and I'm all alone." The tears started coming harder now, and Ginny could not even make out the winding lines of the cement. _

_"Arg! Draco got up, grasping his forearm. "I'm so sorry, Ginny, but I have to go. I hope you feel better." And with a twist of his cloak, the one person who could comfort Ginny was gone._

* * *

**DRACO**

Draco dropped to his knees the second he apparated.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Where have you been, Draco?" he stole a glance upward. Voldemort was standing over him, only his eyes lowered to Draco.

"Avery and I were torturing the girl like you said. She still hasn't said anything."

Voldemort sighed and turned around.

"Avery reported back half an hour ago. He said you were behind him, and then you were gone. So I'm going to ask you again, where were you?" This time, Voldemort lowered his entire body next to Draco, squatting just above his head. "Tell me Draco." _I can't tell on Ginny. She'll get in even more trouble than she's in now._

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" He straightened up and turned away from Draco. "Fine. If you want to hide stuff from me, I will treat you like anyone else. _Crucio!_"

Draco withered on the floor, howling in pain. "Stop! Stop! I'll tell you!"

"Silly boy. The blood traitor girl stood up against this curse longer than you. Pathetic." He spat. "Now, I'm going to ask you again. What were you doing down there?"

"I was talking to her. I thought if I got on her good side, she might let something slip. But she wouldn't even talk to me." He sobbed, feeling ashamed. _You idiot. She's going to get in trouble now. Why are you so weak? Even little Ginny stood up against him longer than you._

"That's better, Draco. Good boy. Now leave my sight." Draco stood up on shaky legs and apparated. Seconds later, he was collapsing on his bed.

* * *

**GINNY**

_He likes you. You were going out with Harry. But he died. And don't you think it's a little soon to like someone else? Draco saved your life. He got me in this mess._

Ginny kept arguing with herself until Ron pulled out the rock, satisfied that Draco was gone.

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing." Ginny spat back at him. _None of his business if Draco likes me._

"Oh, no, you're falling for him now, too. I thought it was bad enough that he liked you, but you like him back? Merlin's beard! Harry just died and you already like someone else."

"Ron." Hermoine whispered from the other side of him.

"Really, Ron? I didn't know that." Ginny added sarcastically. She lied down away from Ron and broke into tears.

"Ginny, you know I didn't mean that. It's just that, I figured you wouldn't even think of that after everything that's happened."

"Ron. Just shut it." Hermoine was whispering from the other side of the cell.

"Sorry." He replied, before slipping the rock back into its hole.

He's right. Harry just died, for Merlin's sake. I don't care what Draco's like, or who he likes. I can't like him. I just can't.

Over the next few days, Ginny had less contact with Ron or Neville than ever. Sometimes Luna would sit and talk, but that always made Ginny even less hopeful. Draco didn't come down since their last encounter, and Ginny was to the point where she was sobbing continuously. They wouldn't stop. _The battle's over. Voldemort won. There's nothing you could do about that._

**

* * *

HARRY**

It had been two weeks, each day feeling longer than the one before. Harry had found refuge in the cave Sirius used to hide out. It wasn't that far from Hogsmeade, and Harry could just make out the little black specs of Death Eaters and Dementors roaming its streets. No one else showed up there anymore. Not with Voldemort in power again.

Harry wiped that fact to the back of his head, along with all the other unwanted truths of his leaving.

Charlie and Bill were with Harry, having rescued his supposedly lifeless body from the battle. He woke up just as they were flying over Bristol, almost toppling into the ocean. They had brought him here and tended his many wounds, inflicted from being thrown around the room by the many Death Eaters Voldemort had with him. Now, Harry was thinking of a plan to get back everyone he loved, and save the world from Voldemort.

"They're in Hogwarts!" Bill came charging through the mouth of the cave, waving a pair of binoculars in his hand.

"What?" Harry struggled to sit up, so he leaned against the wall instead.

"I just saw them. Fifteen or so Death Eaters walking out. They were laughing about something. All You-Know-Who's right-hand men. Avery, Malfoy, Bellatrix. He has to be there."

Bill sat down opposite Harry, poking him awake.

"Charlie! We found them! Get up you lazy git!" Charlie sat up, just missing hitting his head in the lower part of the cave.

"We what?"

"They're at Hogwarts! All of them. Voldemort and all them. We've been so close to them all this time!" Bill was almost jumping up and down he was so joyful.

Up until now, Harry was in shock.

"We have to go get them all. Ron, Hermoine, Neville, Luna and…"

"Ginny." Charlie completed for him. "You're right. We practically know where they are. I mean, with everyone else there learning, there's no other place they could be but in the dungeons. Voldemort wouldn't send them away from him. The only question is, how do we go get them without anyone noticing?"

Harry thought for a minute. They all knew him to be dead. Hundreds of children were schooling there, and no one would be looking for anyone sneaking in,

"I'll do it."

Bill and Charlie looked at him, shocked.

"What?"

"I'll sneak in. No one knows I'm alive other than you two, everyone's there being taught to be Death Eaters, and no one's acting out. Security will be down, and I know the school better than anyone. I can get in, get out, and maybe take down a few Death Eaters in the process."

"Harry, you can barely walk! How do you expect to go fight if you can't stand up without being in pain?" Charlie got up from his spot and took the binoculars from Bill, walking to the mouth of the cave.

"There are a lot now. More than you can get through in this condition." He called.

"I don't care. It's my fault they're in there. I need to be the one to get them out."

Bill sensed a fight about to take place. "In a few days if you're better. If not, one of us will go. Got it?" Harry nodded, sending a shot of pain through his spine.

_Either way, I'm not going to let someone else get hurt on account of me._

Harry picked up his wand from next to him and tapped his shoulder. New bandages wrapped themselves around him, the old ones peeling off of him.

_I'm going tonight._

_

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_**Omg! Now you know why I was so psyched to write it!! So, review, review, review and the chapter will go up faster!!**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxo**


	6. Escape!

**Thanks soooo much to all those people responding! Keep it up!! and to those reading, review!! its not hard, and it's like voting--if you don't speak your voice, you can't criticise my ways (or change them)!!!**

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**Harry Potter**

"I'll take first watch. You get some sleep." Bill headed to the back o the cave while Charlie sat at the front, holding his wand in one hand and the binoculars in the other.

"It's alright, Charlie. Get some rest. I'll take it." Harry got up and limped towards the mouth of the cave.

"You really think we're going to let you get away that easily?"

"What do you mean?" Harry inched towards the opening some more and gripped his wand, raising his arm just a little. Charlie noticed and raised his wand some more, also.

"You want to go save everyone. We're not idiots, Harry. And you're not that original." Bill was walking back from the end of the cave, having heard the argument. Charlie stood up as he came, both of them blocking the entrance now.

"Stupefy!" Harry dodged Bill's jinx, it hitting the wall behind him and sending bits of rock everywhere. A shock of pain wound its way up Harry's shin. Struggling to get up, Harry cast a protective shield around himself.

"What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Sorry 'bout that, mate. Didn't know you had good reflexes."

"Well, what do you expect, Bill? He's a seeker."

Harry was growing sick and tired of their playful bantering.

"You guys seriously aren't going to let me go, are you?" Harry inched closer to the back of the cave. It was darker, and the walls were thin and hidden.

"I don't think I'm going to let you go. Hey, Charlie, you going to let this bag of broken bones go and get himself killed, leaving us to go rescue everyone?"

"No, I don't think I will. That would be kind of tiring, and I just don't feel like it today."

Harry was far into the back of the cave by now. The other two were slowly following him, their wands lighted. Once Harry got to the back of the cave, he let his hand wander, feeling the rough rocks. The stones cut into his hands, causing blood to drip down his arm and into his sleeve.

"Harry, are you going to do something stupid?" Bill called from the center of the cave. Harry could see Charlie's wand tip exploring the back, looking for Harry. He clamped his mouth shut, not about to lead Charlie to where he was standing.

Harry's hand felt along the rock, finally finding the place where he was looking for: the area of rock where the years of water damage and decay had crumpled it, causing pieces to chip off at the slightest touch.

Harry watched as Charlie's wand illuminated the opposite end of the cave. He stood back and pointed his wand tip at the center of the rubble.

"Reducto!" The cave broke apart, leaving a gaping hole where rock used to be. Light swam in from the moon and stars. Harry jumped out the hole and resealed it after himself. It let out onto a hill of broken boulders, each one looking as though it would roll down the hill at any moment.

Harry crouched down behind a large rock and waited. As soon as his cloak swept the rock's edge, Charlie and Bill came running out of the cave, having blasted their own hole. He watched as Charlie took one of the two brooms they had and flew down the hill, staying low to the sharp rocks. Meanwhile, Bill resealed the hole and ran after his brother, chasing nothingness.

"And they say they're not idiots." Harry mumbled to himself as he shifted around the side of the cave and headed towards Hogsmeade.

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**Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom**

"Neville, it's been almost two weeks. We can't get out of here. There's no hope." Luna sat in the corner of their damp cell. Neville was leaning against the broken wall, listening to Ginny's cell. They had heard someone enter it, but hadn't left yet, thought there was no noise coming from his friend's cell.

"It's Draco in there again, isn't it?" Neville nodded once, pressing his ear closer to the rock. Draco had been down twice since he tortured Ginny, and each time they talked, too quiet to be heard through the thick stone.

"This is bad. I can feel it. Either Draco's put a silencing charm on the room, or they're actually talking." Luna stood up from her corner and walked over to Neville, sitting on his lap.

"Don't think like that, love." Neville said, kissing her hair. "It could be the complete opposite. Maybe Ginny's refused to say anything."

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**Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy**

"I know how you feel. The Dark Lord hasn't been letting me near you. I finally had to sneak away."

"Draco, don't do that. I don't want you hurt over me." Draco shook his head, fighting the image of getting tortured as Ginny had the night before.

"I feel like this is all my fault. I mean, I'm the one that got Dumbledore killed, I'm the one that came up with the plans, I'm the one that led Harry to his death." Draco stopped short, realizing what he had just said. Ginny gasped, finding it hard to breath, and pulled her legs in closer to her chest.

"You still haven't eaten." Draco pointed out quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Not hungry right now." Ginny mumbled, looking at the unappetizing bowl of green soup in the corner. A glass of warm milk sat next to it, and a rotting apple was next to that.

"It's bad, I know. I wish I could bring you down something better, but I can't without getting caught. I'm sorry." Draco added, looking down.

"It's not that bad, I just don't feel like eating, promise." Ginny said, looking at his sad stature. She had grown fond of him the past week, and Ginny could now see the tormented soul within his rough exterior. Draco, too, was seeing Ginny as more of the 'blood traitor'. Though they had only spoken twice since their 'incident', Draco had brought her food, at which time they would smile at each other and Ginny would politely thank him for whatever revolting food he had brought that day.

"Are you sure you don't want to be moved upstairs into one of the better dungeons? I may not have much pull around here, but I'm sure I can try."

"No thank you. I don't want to be given special treatment." Ginny replied, pressing her back against the wall harder.

"You want to suffer as much as your friends. I understand." Draco saw her stiffen against the wall and look at the broken block on the other end of the wall.

"You're always sitting here. Why not, I don't know, over on the other side of the room?" Draco smirked at the terrified expression on her face, masked with a sense of calmness.

"It's too cold over there." She replied, hugging her knees closer to herself at every word Draco spoke.

"I know about it. And I won't tell if you don't." Draco whispered in her ear as he stood up, straightening his robes. "I really must go. It's my turn to be guard tonight, and the Dark Lord won't like it if I fall asleep on the job."

"Guard what?" Ginny asked, thoroughly intrigued now.

"Room of Requirements. You know how it became that doorway last year? The Dark Lord found that out, and now we have to guard it. Kind of pathetic, I know. But, the Dark Lord gets what the Dark Lord wants." He said, bowing at Ginny. She nodded, and Draco left the cell, a feeling of warmth in his heart and ice on his veins.

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	7. Sneaking Discovery

**Thanks so much to all the awesome reviews!! I love your comments, and it keeps me writing faster. I'm kind of crammed for time, and really wish there were more hours in the day, or that I didn't have to go to school where I have to actually pay attention…sigh…aw well, I'll try to update again before the weekend, but I'm not sure how far I'm going to get…arg!! Well, you can read now. Sorry!!** **and wow! sorry guys almost put up one for my other thing...thank gawd i look at them before!!**

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**GINNY & DRACO**

"Get up, blood traitor." A man lifted Ginny stiffly off the ground. Her legs wobbled under her weight, but held her up. She felt her arms snap to her side, immobile, and looked around. The man was pointing his wand at her, his body pointed to the door. She followed the man out into the hall, squinting at the intensity of light. He hadn't even seen the hole, and Ginny didn't think he'd care if he did. She looked around the cold hall. She knew she was in the dungeons under Hogwarts, the eerie green glow of the lake floating past her. He passed the door to the Slytherin common room. The portrait starred back at her, cold eyes watching her every move. They moved up the stairs, surprisingly not hitting into anyone. Outside Dumbledore's office, they stopped.

"Muggleborns Beware." The stone gargoyle stepped aside, not quite as quick as he had with Dumbledore, and allowed them upstairs. Ginny followed after the masked man, tripping slightly over the new difficulties of her legs. They finally reached the top step, Ginny trudging behind a little.

"Wait here."

It wasn't as if Ginny had a choice. Her legs wouldn't move, and could barely hold up her weight after that long climb all over Hogwarts. The man knocked on the door. It broke open slightly, allowing just enough room for the man to step in. She heard mumbling coming from the other side of the door, and soon enough, the man was back.

"Get in here." Ginny's legs obediently followed the man. They stopped just inside the door. It swung shut of its own accord. Ginny felt a push against the back of her legs, and before she knew it, she was falling face-first into the ground. She hovered just before her chin hit the cold rock, using no energy to stop herself. She looked around the room. Draco was in the corner, pointing his wand discretely behind his back, pointing at her. He was facing away, towards the wall-sized window. Just outside, students were flying on their brooms, each one pointing their wands at other people. Students in the stands were cheering half-heartedly, obviously not enjoying any part of it.

"Ah, wonderful game, isn't it?" Ginny looked away from the window. Standing in front of her was a man she had hoped never to see again. "I invented it just the other day. I figured, this school had such pristine Quidditch program, why not keep it going? So, everyone on the team gets to play!"

"How could you defile such a great sport?" Ginny knew she was yelling, but it didn't sound like her. More like she was standing outside of her body, watching herself talk.

"I am Lord Voldemort. I can do anything I want to. I killed your _wittle boyfwend_ and I could kill you." His face was level with hers, his cold red eyes staring in the depths of hers. Ginny saw Draco flinch out of the corner of her eye. He, too, was on his knees, facing the three of them. "But I won't. Not now."

Voldemort spun around to face Draco now. Ginny looked up, watching his every move.

"Leave, Avery. But Draco, stay." They did as they were told, Avery getting up and moving towards the door, throwing one last disturbed look in my direction, and Draco staying kneeling as if set in stone.

"Ah, privacy. Something very hard to get in this school, with all these little brats running around." He was watching the game from the window. Ginny looked up just as Alicia got blown off her broom by a curse sent from Crabbe.

"You two seem to be getting some privacy, now don't you. Yes, Draco, I do know of when you sneak down and see her. You are not _that_ smart, boy." Draco looked at me apologetically. I smiled at him slightly, not taking my eyes off Voldemort. He was still wrapped up in his self-praised speech.

"Lord, I am so sorry. It will never happen again." Draco pleaded, his face buried in the carpet.

"Why beg, Draco? Don't are you denying your love for this girl?"

"Yes. I surely would not love a blood traitor like her. I am forever on your side." Voldemort smiled at his young accomplice, soaking in the desire of this young boy begging.

"Personally, I value young love." Ginny's mouth dropped at the word love. Surely, she did like him as a friend, and maybe even a tiny bit more, but didn't love him. It was way too soon to love someone else. "That is why I am looking out for you Draco. A boy of your stature should not be with filth like this." He kicked at Ginny's side, who fell onto her side, wincing in pain.

"Which is why I must do this." He spun around, his wand pointed at Ginny's chest.

"NO!" Draco had jumped up and drew his wand. Voldemort smiled, having achieved what he wanted.

"I thought you did not love this girl, Draco. Surely you wouldn't mind simple torture, you have even set this fate on others. So, why deny me the pleasure of ending this girl's life right now?" Draco settled back in his original position, this time looking straight at Ginny, his head higher off the ground.

"Unless…you _do_ love trash like this." He shot a look at Ginny, his dead eyes beating into her skin.

"Y-y-yes." Draco stammered, his eyes averted from Ginny's gaze. Voldemort tisk-tisked, sounding more like Molly Weasley than a feared dark wizard.

"Draco, Draco, Draco. I provide you with status, with good looks, with power, and you use that all to get filth like her? She's worse than the mudblood! Dirtying the pureblood line with every breath she takes."

"Please. Don't. Hurt. Ginny." Draco's voice came out in shallow gasps, his face once again buried into the ground.

"Don't be so pitiful, Draco. I will not kill this girl today. Nor will I hurt her." Draco and Ginny both let out a sigh of relief, and then tensed, knowing something was not right.

"Avery informed me of something, Draco. He said you had not participated in hurting this girl. He also told me she somehow got medical bandages wrapped around her. As if by _magic._" Draco tensed, and suddenly, the bandages felt tight against Ginny's rib cage, squeezing her bones together so tight that they rubbed against each other, mimicking the sound of her breathing.

"You know what you must do, Draco. You must do what I told you to. No exceptions." Draco looked up at his master, a look of regret in his eyes. "_Now_ Draco!" He stood up and took his wand out of his pocket. It was shorter than most wands she had ever seen, and was a burned black, like ash. He fumbled with it in his hands quite nervously.

"I believe I said _now!_" Draco regrettably held his wand out in front of him, facing Ginny.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Ginny braced herself, knowing what was about to happen. Draco opened his mouth, and in a defeated voice, said:

"Crucio!"

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**HARRY**

Harry crept behind the Hog's Head. He had seen people popping in and out of Hogsmeade all day, and knew the Death Eaters were too proud to think of putting their usual defensive spells.

"Heard that Weasley girl's been putting up a fight. Still won't say a thing. That Draco boy's been trying to get her to talk."

Harry's heart leapt as he heard Ginny was at least alive, if not perfectly healthy.

"Lucius's boy?"

"Yeah. Talking to her and all. He's stayed in there hours a day; all she ever does is cry at him. Guess the Slytherin Prince isn't as hot as he thought he was. The Dark's Lord's not happy. He's spending more time with her than out here."

They were walking away, their voices merely a whisper in the wind.

"I don't see why we need to be here. Potter's dead."

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**BILL & CHARLIE**

"Where the hell is he?"

"Well, he's not back there, and he couldn't run this far hurt like he is."

"You don't think he went to the portrait?"

Charlie and Bill spun around and raced back up the hill, towards the Hog's Head and Harry.

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Exciting, I know. That's why I really really want to update soon, so I don't get a pack of really mad people yelling at me for not updating!! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but that all will be solved probably in the next chapter…(I'm not saying there won't be more cliffs…sorry!!) And it's almost one of my longest ones i think! yay me!! REVIEW and I write faster!!!**


	8. Hog's Head

**MUST READ:**

**ok, so here's what's happening: I'm having a tiny competition between all my stories. Next time I sit down, the one with the biggest increase in reviews gets written first (not hits...you need to type to win this competition). It shouldn't be that hard, but I will stop writing if I get 500 'i like it...keep writing's . I want some actual thought plz!! or at least mix it up so I don't have to read all the boring reviews over and over again! Thanks...o and no reviews, no new chapter, so keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!! PROMISE!!****

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BILL & CHARLIE

"I don't see him anywhere. Do you?" Bill was up on the cave side, clutching the binoculars in his white-knuckled hands.

"Nope. And I don't think we can go in there after him. If they catch any of us, we're all dead." Charlie called, flying above him, camouflaged by the rock.

"Well, we can't just let him go in there alone."

"So, what do you want to do?" Charlie landed next to his brother and put away his broom, shrinking it to fit easily in his pocket.

"I vote we go in after him. Either way, he's going to get himself killed. Might as well have a chance of getting out unnoticed."

Charlie nodded and started down the mountain, clutching at every sturdy rock he could find. Bill came up behind him, and the two redheads made their way down the almost impossible rock wall undetected.

**HARRY**

Harry was still, shocked at what he had heard. He knew everyone thought of him to be dead; it was something that went along with having Voldemort throw you around the room like a rag doll after his killing curse supposedly succeeded.

He shook his head and regained his posture, looking around the corner. Even with his invisibility cloak hiding him, Harry was still unsure. He had hidden it inside his pocket, making it almost small enough to only cover his big toe. He hadn't told Bill or Charlie; if they knew, it would make escapes like these so much harder.

Someone grabbed Harry by the back of the neck and pulled him inside an almost hidden door. They trotted down a series of steps until they finally stopped, having reached the cellar. Harry drew his wand and looked around, blinded by the lack of light.

The man flicked his wand, sending sparks of light to each corner of the room. Huge plates swelled up with flames, igniting the room in light. Harry looked around, having finally seen where he was. It seemed familiar: the musty smell, the illegal drink bottles, the horrid taste in decoration.

"Abe!"

"Yeah, yeah, it's me. What the bloody hell do you think you're doing back here? Wait—aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Harry nodded solemnly, soaking up the disgusting yet familiar setting.

"I don't know what happened. I just woke up." Abe nodded, having known he did not want to talk about this subject.

"Come upstairs. You look horrible, you know."

Harry had to suppress a chuckle at what he knew his own appearance would be. They trudged up the stairs, following it up.

"Wait a second, how did you know I was there?" It was Abe's turn to chuckle now.

"Been getting clumsy with that cloak, you know. Your back foot was sticking right out of it. Anyone with eyes would have seen it and anyone with half a brain would connect it to you."

"But you thought I was dead." Harry defended, sitting down on one of the bar stools as Abe went behind the bar and collected a glass.

"Fate has mysterious ways of working. Never thought you were truly dead, not after he didn't have your body or the two people that took you off." Harry understood; he wouldn't expect it, either, if it had been someone else dead, someone else with the responsibility to save the world.

"So, why you here?" Harry grew nervous, unsure of how much he should trust his old headmaster's brother. Abe put a glass of the familiar looking drink in front of Harry. He grasped it, and sucked, letting the heat of the butterbeer slump down the back of his throat.

"You obviously need me, if you were hiding behind my shop. Don't tell me, you want to get into Hogwart's."

Harry nodded, sucking in the remaining few drops of butterbeer at the bottom of his glass.

"I thought we learned this last year; it's not a good idea."

"They have my friends." Harry said, slamming the empty bottle down on the table. Abe refilled it, filling one for him in the process.

"The girl and boy that you came with? They're tough, they can handle themselves."

"And Neville, and Luna, and Ginny." Harry spat, instantly regretted bringing _her_ up at a time like this.

"Ah, that little girl that ran in after her brothers to see you? That the one?" Harry nodded, looking to his shoes. He didn't want to have to talk about her, to remember her smile, her pout, or remember the day he had left her and never came back. Now she was locked up in a cell, being tortured for information about him.

"How about this: you rest up here for one night. Just one." He added, seeing Harry's shocked face. "Then you can go tomorrow if you're up to it. But it seems to me that you need at least one good meal and nap in yeah before going off again." Harry sluggishly agreed, and climbed into the bed Abe showed him.

_Only seven more hours until I can see Ginny again._

**GINNY & DRACO**

Ginny rolled onto her side, a pain moving from her hip to her neck. She groaned and looked up at Draco, who was levitating her down the stairs.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better in the past few days." Draco winced at these words and kept going down the stairs. He counted the doors, stopping at Ginny's. She felt weightless as he sat her down in front of her hole, where she usually sat.

"Who's in the first room?" Draco looked shocked, and weary, at her question.

"Wh--what door?"

"The one before Hermoine's." She didn't care if he knew she talked to them, or if she knew where each of her friends was. All she wanted was the truth.

"Oh, you noticed that?"

"Yeah." Ginny added sarcastically.

"Well, it's another captured person." Draco said, turning around towards the door.

"And this other captured person would be?" She asked, slightly annoyed at how little information she was getting.

"Well, um…"

"Draco, spit it out." Ginny snapped.

"It's…"

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**you gotta love those cliffhangers! Promise I'll post soon...but then again, that fate lies in your people's hands. You know the deal (and if not...that's what MUST READ stands for). Hope to get to write this again!!**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**


	9. The Captured Soul

**not going to go into a long thing about reviewing and all that stuff, that's at the bottom, because I bet everyone wants to know who's next to Hermoine!! so, here it is (first part is a recap if you can't read the big underlined word over it. lol jk. I bet you all know that by now, but now i'm making this really longer. READ!****

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**RECAP:**

"_Well, it's another captured person." Draco said, turning around towards the door._

"And this other captured person would be?" She asked, slightly annoyed at how little information she was getting.

"_Well, um…"_

"_Draco, spit it out." Ginny snapped._

"_It's…"_

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GINNY 

"George!" Hermoine shrieked, causing both Ron and Ginny to jump. Ginny nodded her head, then, forgetting they couldn't see her in the dark, said:

"Yeah. He's right on the other side of you. Maybe if we could find the clip, we can take out a stone over there, too." Neville dug around the bottom of his cell, and then pulled out a rusted and beaten hair clip.

"Ginny, give this to Hermoine. Hermoine, start scraping!" He was getting better at the commanding thing, and Ginny wondered if he was ever really bad at giving orders. Ginny stood up and grabbed the clip out of Neville's plump hands, being careful not to drop it. She passed it to Ron, who, in turn, passed it to Hermoine. Ginny could hear scrapings from her right, growing louder and louder if they continued.

"They really should fix these walls." Hermoine commented, easily sawing through the rocky substance.

"Okay, Hermoine, bring that up to McGonagall when we get out of here." Ginny joked, sending the entire cave into laughs.

"Hey, Ginny, how'd you know George was over here? Malfoy didn't tell you, did he?" Hermoine refuted, causing an awkward tension.

"No, I saw him go in, that's all." She lied quick enough to save her own butt, but knew that would instantly be shot down once they talked to George. 

"Yeah, right. We didn't hear anyone come down here."

"They could have apparated. Everyone does it in here all the time." She hoped Hermoine wouldn't say anything; she wanted to drop this topic as soon as possible.

"That's only yours. They always complain about having to walk down to get us. Lazy hags." Luna's spirit seemed to be lifting in thought of their recent discovery.

"Almost done over there, Hermoine?" Ginny asked, willing for anything to change the subject.

"Don't think we'll forget about you and Draco." Ron whispered, loud enough for only his baby sister to hear him

"I don't like him, Ron! He likes me, and I'm going to milk it as much as I can to get out of here. I still love—" She cut off, her last words caught in her throat.

"I know. Just keep it that way."

"I'm almost through." Hermoine called out, breaking their conversation. "Just a moment…yes! I got through one side. Just three more to go!"

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**HARRY**

Harry woke with a start. He wasn't aware he had been sleeping. He had tried to stay awake, but after a week sleeping on rock, it was hard to deny a soft mattress. He had fallen into a dreamless sleep, seeing black better than seeing _her._

_I'm going to see her soon._ He kept telling himself, and that, and that alone, kept him pushing one foot in front of the other, walking out of bed and into the bathroom.

He was a mess: his black hair matted down on his forehead, dirt covering his face, cuts and bruises harshly infected and oozing. He wiped his face clean and got in the shower, hoping Abe wouldn't mind. The hot water engulfed him, making it almost impossible for Harry to turn off the steaming hot water and walk back into the cold air. Finally, he was presentable, after having washed dried his clothes, dried his hair, and digging the dirt out from under his nails.

"Hungry?" Abe said as Harry walked into the kitchen, dragging his feet behind him.

"A little." Abe pointed to the cabinet, where Harry pulled out a box of cereal and a bowl. Setting them down on the table, he began eating, the sugary-sweet pieces filling his mouth.

"Hiya Harry." Harry spun around fast enough to see two redheaded boys walking into the room, each holding a broomstick in one hand and a wand in the other.

"Didn't think we'd loose you, now did ya?" Charlie asked, slapping Harry lightly on the back.

"Yes they know." Abe said, answering his unasked question. "You majorly underestimate us, Harry. Do you think I would let you go and get yourself killed? Sorry, but no. I did that once before, you know.

"You're not going to let me leave, are you?" Harry asked, looking down into his cereal bowl. He knew it was too good to be true, and he knew this probably get himself killed, but he had to at least try.

"Well, we've been talking, and we figure, you're not going to drop it. So, we're going with you." Harry's head shot up like a child granted permission to go to an amusement park.

"Don't make us regret it." Bill added, pouring a bowl of cereal for himself.

"So, what's your plan?"

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HERMOINE 

Hermoine had been sawing for an hour, and her hand was starting to cramp up, but she knew she had to keep pushing, to keep cutting through the barrier between her and a new face.

"George? George!" She called through, not loud enough that the 'guards' would come down to check on them. She cut through the last bit of rock and placed the clip in her hair, holding it in place as she pried out the brick.

"George!"

"Hermoine?" His voice rasped from the other side, breaking in the middle of her name.

"George? Are you alright?" Hermoine was relieved to hear him, but wasn't happy about the way he sounded.

"I guess. How are you? How'd you find me over here, and most importantly, what the bloody hell did you do to the wall?"

"We're all fine. Ginny found out you were here, and we cut through the wall with a hairclip. Though, I don't think is the time to say I told you muggle tricks would work."

"Who's us all? Ginny's there? Who else?" He was too overcome to slow down, though Hermoine kept up.

"Me, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. We're all in neighboring cells, and we cut through those walls, too. Now we all can talk. Hold on." Hermoine stood up and ran to the other side of the cell, stopping where she thought the hole was.

"Ron! Ron! Get over here!" Almost instantly, her boyfriend was next to her, squinting through the darkness.

"How's George?"

"He's fine. Can't talk much. You can talk to him, it's the same as me talking to Ginny."

Ron apprehensively called out, waiting for Death Eaters to spring up from the shadows and take him.

"George? Are you OK?"

"Ron? Yeah, I'm fine. How are you, little bro?" It was the first time George had been happy in weeks, since the loss of his twin brother.

"We're all holding up. Is anyone there with you?"

"Nope. I've been alone for a week now. What about you?"

"Only people together are Neville and Luna, but we've been able to talk for the same time."

They heard footsteps approaching, and each person grabbed their brick and shoved it into place.

"We'll talk in a little bit." Hermoine whispered before blocking the cell, once again, into complete isolation.

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GINNY 

The cell opened up, shining light on her face. Draco stepped in and lit the cell up, bulbs of light from his wand levitating in the empty cell.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine." Ginny lied, wanting to tell Draco to leave so she could get back to her brother.

"So, have you thought about your brother?"

"Obviously. Why wouldn't I? I haven't seen anyone in weeks, and you expect me not to worry about him? How is he, anyways?" Draco thought back, remembering his last visit to the living half of the twins. He looked fine, and even found enough energy to call Draco a filthy, selfish git that should die. Of course, then Draco tortured him, and hadn't seen him since. Draco decided to leave out the last part.

"Seemed good enough. Kept up his, for lack of a better word, sarcastic attitude. Isn't much worse off than the other four."

"Why does he want George?" Ginny was somehow happy Draco was on Voldemort's side; at least she got information he wouldn't think of telling them.

"Same reason he wants any of you…as bait."

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**did you really think I was going to leave off without a cliffhanger? Seriously, have you been reading the other chapters? Ok, so I need reviews before I post a new chapter. I'm thinking at least 15, hoping for 20. If I get 20, I promise there will be a new chapter tomorrow (feb 15) and plz be original! If I don't get 15, I will not write until I get 15 (and then that's just starting the chapter...can't guess how long it will take to write it.) wink wink**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**


	10. George vs Rookwood

**so sorry it took so long to update. I've been so busy with my school work and other stories!! But I'm hopefully going to calm down on my other story and try to update the ones I don't update as much, like this one! So if I get good reviews today, I'll keep writing but if you don't want me to, then don't worry about it. Maybe I'll finish this one after everything else is done. **

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Recap: _

_"Same reason he wants any of you...as bait."_

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**GINNY'S POV**

I couldn't calculate in my head anything Draco had said. _Why would Voldemort want us as bait? Who else would want us? The Order's fallen, Harry's gone, and everyone else couldn't give a shit about us._

She would have asked Draco, but he had left an hour ago, apologizing for leaving her with the bad news. He had gone to guard the Room of Requirements again, the third time that week.

George had tried to talk to Ginny, but try as he might, she wouldn't stop thinking of what he said. _As bait…as bait…what could that mean?_ Even Hermoine and Neville were stumped as to why he would need them, not that they minded being kept alive. Ron as usual was helpless, and Luna was just depressed, slightly bringing down the emotions of everyone.

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GEORGE'S POV**

Now that I knew everyone else was safe, I couldn't help but feel hopeful. Bill and Charlie still hadn't been found, and I knew Percy and my parents were being watched, but at least they were still alive. And that was a step up compared to some of the other people I had heard about.

A pain rippled through my heart as I realized what became of my twin brother. No more confusing Mom, no more 'terrible twins', no more pranks or completing each other's sentences. But at least he went with a smile on his face. That's what he wanted.

I still want to kill the scum that did this to him. And not just Rookwood, I want to kill all of them, all of the prats that are walking through this very school at the moment.

"George, are you there?" _Where else did Hermione think I was? Egypt?_

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" I caught the brick as it fell out of the hole before it could clank on the cement floor.

"It's Ginny. She's stressing over this whole 'bait' thing. I can't think of anything it could be." I rolled my eyes, telling her the same thing I had said fifty times in the past hour.

"He might just be tricking us. You never know these Death Eaters."

"Ginny swears she doesn't think he's lying. She trusts him."

"What if this is all a ploy, Hermione? He could still be working for _them_. You can't trust him." I shoved the block in the hole, annoyed at my friends' ignorance. This seemed to be just in the nick of time, for in the next second, a loud stomping was heard from outside. I could almost imagine the others slipping their bricks in, and giving Ginny one more swift glance before leaving her to fight alone.

She was the only one that was visited other than for food. We have been only taken out once, when we first got here.

I sat against the wall and leaned towards the door, waiting for the sound of footsteps retreating past my door, past Hermione's and Ron's, and then finally stopping at Ginny's. But the footsteps never passed my door. I held my breath, waiting for the time when they would circle around and leave, or just open someone's door.

I was the lucky winner.

**

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HERMIONE'S POV**

_How could George just shut me out like that? I try to ask his opinion on his sister's worries, and he shuns me? I'm starting to think life would be easier if we still didn't know about him in my neighboring cell._

As soon as he shoved the brick roughly in the slot separating me and him, footsteps echoed off the walls just outside our doors. Someone was walking down the steps leading to us.

I tensed up. I almost knew they would stop at Ginny, but Draco had just left and said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow. So who could it be?

I waited for the footsteps to die away before I could talk to Ron, who already had his ear pressed against the hole in the wall when I left him.

The footsteps stopped before they passed mine, and a door opened. The sound of metal rubbing against metal rang out through the hall, trapping its occupants in its bloodcurdling screech. The only person before me was George.

A pair of feet up the stairs, a clanking sounding at each step. I recognized the sound as chains. The metal door slid shut roughly, and the last pair of stomps left. I pulled open the brick between myself and Ron, calling him from the other end of the cell. He raced over to me.

"Was that George's?"

"Yeah. Get Ginny, Neville and Luna, and then come back. I'm going to try and see what it's about." I watched him leave before I turned and ran to the other end of my cell.

**

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GEORGE'S POV**

The blinding light filled the cell. The screeching made me cringe in agony, and the ripping of my arm felt like I was about to loose my arm.

"What the--?"

"Come on, Weasley." I stood up and fell back down again. I hadn't stood for the entire time I was here.

I focused on the small boy pulling me along. He was short, at least a head shorter than me, with long bleach-blonde hair. He wore a snarl on his face, like someone stuck dragon dung under his nose.

"Malfoy!"

"Very observant." He spat as we climbed the familiar Hogwarts staircases. They twisted and twined, causing Draco to pull me along after him.

"Getting cozy with my sister, I see. She won't help you." Malfoy's cocky smile faded, leaving his usual snarl.

"That's none of your business. You're lucky I was able to keep her alive."

"While you were torturing her, you mean?" I could feel my blood boiling, the anger rising in my body. "Yes, I should be graveling at your feet for that. Who knew she was so lucky to be tortured by the 'Great Mr. Malfoy'?"

"Shut up, Weasley. I had to do that. And not a word, we're going to see the Dark Lord and we don't need any more suspicions running around. I may be fine with your little communication line, but I _cannot _promise my companions will be as kind." _Companions? Now they're companions, no longer just Death Eaters! Hilarious! _I refused the urge to laugh out loud at Draco. _This little runt seriously thinks he can boss me around!_

"Sure, sure Draco. Whatever you say." We were walking up the stairs, jumping the invisible steps and watching the changing staircases. Finally, he stopped at the fifth-floor Gryffindor common room.

"Voldemort will Triumph." The Fat Lady pulled away, opening to the once-familiar home away from home. Now, it was clad in black, green, and silver. The red and gold banner was now torn down and spewed in the fire place. Its center was rippling in the fire, a huge hole where the lion once roared.

"Thank you, Draco." My knees fell out from under me, and I fell with a thud onto the cold hearth.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this. Ever since I heard of your little pranks, your tiny mishaps. This truly is an honor, Mr. Weasley, as I am sure it is for you, to be kneeling before a room filled with so many _honorable _people. Only if your brother were here to experience it. Wouldn't that be great?" I jumped up at the man, only to be caught and forced down by an invisible source.

"Don't you ever talk about him like that! Rookwood killed him. I'm going to kill that slimy bastard the next chance I get."

"Why, young man, why talk about me like I am not in the room?" The figure pulled back his hood, only to show the face of Augustus Rookwood.

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**Sorry, I'm addicted to cliffs. Review and I'll keep writing, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I don't get many reviews, because I don't want to be mean to those who like this. But we'll see what happens later. I'll post to tell everyone the update. **

**Sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


	11. The Screams

**Ok, so I'm going to be writing this from now until the end with no breaks. I'm going to try to post a new chapter a day or every other day or so just to get it moving because I haven't written this for ages and I feel bad for keeping people waiting. So, here you go. O and I wrote in the 'dark sides' POV just to get a range of viewpoints. Read on...**

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ROOKWOOD'S POV 

"Crucio!" The boy screamed in pain, vigorously thrashing on the ground at my feet. I pulled back the spell, leaving the boy gulping for air, his bright red hair masked to his forehead in a puddle of sweat. 

"Now, what was that about your brother, son?"

"Filthy…bastard…" He panted back.

"How _dare_ you. Avada--"

"Rookwood! I do not wish this boy dead. Not yet. I assure you, he will die at your hands soon enough. But this is not the time. Leave us now." I bowed on my way out, kissing the ground where my master walked.

"I said _now_!" With one last fleeting swipe of my robe, I fled.

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**VOLDEMORT'S POV**

The boy still trashed as I approached him, but then shot up into the air as he saw me. His face was set in stone, harsh and what I presumed to be bravery. But there was fear behind his eyes.

"I am not going to kill you. I am not going to hurt you. No, not now." I watched as relief flashed across his face, and then back to his hard expression.

"Why am I here, then?" He asked. His voice was no more than a whisper, and filled with pain. It made me at peace to know this was what happened to blood traitors.

"You fought with the Order. You lost your brother due to it, along with many of your friends. Am I right?" I didn't wait for a response. "This wouldn't have happened were it not for Harry Potter. Ah, yes, the boy who lived. Luck, that's all it was. Though it does not seem that you have that luck, now does it? No, not while you are here, graveling at my feet, while I hold a wand and the power. And look where luck got him: a one-way ticket to a painful grave, forcing his loved ones to live on in this world, to fight for their lives against true blood worshipers. But you, you are a pure blood. You could join us, you know. You're still young. You didn't understand. But I can help you on your way to greatness."

"Never!" _How dare he say that to me!_

"What did you say, boy?"

"I believe I said _never_." He spat at me. Spit flung from his mouth and landed on the hem of my robes, soiling them with his distasteful traitor blood.

"Well, if you feel that way, there is only one thing left to do." The boy's face cringed in anticipation for what was to come.

"Crucio."

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**HARRY'S POV**

The worry was building up inside of me as I watched the clock on the wall toll, its hands moving slowly around the surface, chiming off at each hour. Time seemed to have stopped as midnight approached. Tomorrow we would start through the cave. But that meant we had to get through today first.

"Harry, eat something. You haven't eaten since morning." Bill's eyes were watching me almost as much as I was watching the clock. I took the bowl of fruit he was holding out to me and started eating, not really tasting even the bitterest of grapefruit. 

"Attention students of Hogwarts and citizens of Hogsmeade, it is the Dark Lord speaking." My head suddenly shot up, as did everyone else's in the room. We stared towards the open window, though nothing moved in the darkness.

"Your hero is dead." The voice continued. I flinched at the sound of his information, though I had heard it many times before. "No one is here to save you. I possess anyone who once tried to go against me, to save you all. They failed, and for that, they must suffer. Let's all listen to what happens to those who fought against the Dark Lord. Crucio!"

A scream roared through the house and onto the streets. Death Eaters growled with laughter, like many uncivilized hyenas. I clasped my hands over my ears. I knew that voice, and for once, Voldemort was telling the truth: it was my fault. My fault George was now screaming in pain. 

As suddenly as it started, it stopped and Voldemort's voice rang across the city again.

"Oh, but do not think that he was the only foolish one, the only person that chose the wrong side. No, more had chosen to fight with that coward. They are dead. That is, except for six." My heart skipped a beat, waiting for what inevitably was coming.

"Let's see how much they honor their decision now. Crucio!" An echo of voices sounded across the land, spewing the words that felt like they would end my world right there and now. And then came the screams of my six closest friends. 

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**oooo love those really dramatic endings. I won't keep you waiting too long. Though I do want some posts. Last chapter, I just got one and I was kind of depressed (sob) so I want some good ones or I'm going to just b.s. the rest of the story just to get it done. I don't want to do that because I like this story, but I'm not going to write if no one's going to read. So, please please please review. Just one second...**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxo**


	12. Through the Painting

**Happy Easter to all those who celebrate it!! and all those that don't, happy long weekend!! ok, so i wanted to post this tonight because i have so much homework to do tomorow (another day off of school) and i'm not sure if i would remember to repost. Please review, you'll make my holiday happier!!**

Draco's POV

I heard the screams vibrate over the town, matched with my screams over having to listen to it. _My_ Ginny was the one screaming, along side her loyal bodyguards, of course. But they didn't matter. What mattered is that I couldn't stop her from having to endure this torment, just for her love.

_Love_. I scoffed at the word. _He_ wasn't her love. _He_ left her behind while he went off to fight Voldemort. _He_ didn't have to see the worry behind her eyes each day as she roamed the halls, playing mindless pranks in what she thought would help. All that brought her was more pain. He didn't help one bit.

And then to see him die, right there in front of her. He killed Potter in cold blood; revenge. Even I couldn't watch it without wincing, and I had awaited this fate for years upon years, ever since I found out what a pureblood was. And might I add, thanks to my father, that was very young.

I thought watching Ginny would help me not have the urge to stop the pain for Potter, but it only intensified it. To watch that sweet redheaded girl have to see her boyfriend die, it was torment.

Sitting in front of the hidden doorway to Hogsmeade, my mind wandered back to that day. I had been across from her, with the rest of the Death Eaters. She struggled more than I thought possible from someone like her, though the invisible bindings held up until the end, when Voldemort unleashed her and she ran into his limp form, hugging every inch of him and crying out until she couldn't breath.

And then it was over. We all left once the fun was gone, throwing Ginny back down to the dungeons where I know she wept for days, not moving or eating.

We started patrolling her cell, watching out for any signs of suicide in her. But she never did. She said it was an insult to his memory, though she wished she could be with him, wherever he was. Of course, that would never happen until she dies, but the way her life was going now, that would be too soon.

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HARRY

"We've got to go. You can't keep me here, not now." He got up and advanced towards the portrait, and hidden passageway into Hogwarts.

"Harry, Harry. Hold it. You can't just barge in there when everyone thinks you're dead. Especially not with people prowling around. And not only professors this time. Death Eaters are walking around Hogwarts, keeping everyone in line. They don't want to risk someone else revolting. It may decline both sides' numbers, and they don't want to hurt any potential followers. And you would start a major revolt." Bill sidestepped to block the painting.

"Do you hear them? They're going through that because of me. I can't just let them hurt my friends." Harry whipped out his wand, pointing it at the older boy's chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two more wands being drawn, one from Abe and the other from Charlie. Bill's hand edged towards his pocket, but stopped once Harry drew his gaze back to his captive.

"Harry, you're insane if you think we're all going to let you go alone. Now, how many people can you fit under that cloak?" Harry wheeled around to look at Charlie, giving Bill time to take out his wand, too.

"Just one, I think. Two if we're lucky. Are you serious?"

"I don't think there's any other way. What do you think, Abe?" Abe shuffled uncomfortably as all eyes were turned to him. He looked to the portrait, who smiled encouragingly to him.

"I think you should. We all know stopping Mr. Potter is like stopping a tornado. And the world can be no worse off than now. Even if he is caught and killed, no one will be the wiser. Death Eaters won't want bad publicity. I don't see how it can hurt, moving the attack up until tonight. But first, come. And yes, you too, Mr. Potter. It shall only take a minute." He added, eyeing Harry turning towards the entryway. The four walked to the back of the small apartment, finally stopping at a small closet. Abe raised his wand and tapped on the knob, bringing the door to life.

"Password?" It hissed, a sound like squeaking hinges.

"Firewhisky." He pronounced in a dignified voice.

"Hello, Aberforth Dumbledore." It once again squealed before opening. Though the door looked very old, it opened without making a noise or sticking. Abe bent down and shuffled through the closet, shifting a box here or there. Sometimes he would pull out one from the closet, filled with odd objects like frog spleens and rabbit eyes. One large fish aquarium actually contained nargles, substituting for a real cage.

"Here we go." He groaned, pulling out a brown, cardboard box. Harry found himself edging closer as Abe rested the box at his feet, spilling out bunches of smaller packages. He noticed some of them as Fred and George's products: Invisible hats, cloaks, and even their new line of invisible scarves.

"I knew we'd eventually need these. I bought them out while I still had the chance." He pulled out some items and threw them at the awaiting boys, finally straightening up when the two Weasleys were weighed down with invisible but heavy items, leaving Harry to use his light invisibility cloak.

"There you go. I suppose you'll have to get going now. And Harry," he added, stepping forward and allowing the other two to pass them, "please be careful. It won't help anyone if you go and be stupid. Think of the prophecy." He patted Harry's shoulder before turning and steering him towards his destiny.

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It was somewhat of a filler chapter, but it had to be added. Next is all the action, and then it's going to be over. i'm going to be so sad when it does because i think it will officially be my very first completed story!! but that's not probably for two or three more chapters i think. Well, review please...i want at least 2 just to get to 20!!


	13. Meeting Up

**Draco**

"Draco, take the blood traitors back to their cells. And then go back to guarding the Room of Requirements. But first, make sure they _all_ are somewhat healthy. My plan won't work if they die."

"Yes, master." Draco bowed before walking into the empty room, which once was his potions class. He savored the same dungeon smell before running over to the limp redhead girl lying before him.

"Ginny, are you alright?" She shook her head, still buried in the cold stone. The look on her face said it all: she would never be alright, or even close to that. This would go with her through the rest of her life, probably about to be ended anyways. Sweat covered her forehead, which was a sickly shade of green, along with the rest of her face. She was shaking slightly as if she were cold, though Draco had taken the time to sling a cloak over her.

The others behind her didn't look much better. Ron's face matched that when he spit out slugs for a day straight, and George's looked the same as after his ear got chopped off during their battle earlier that year. Draco had been riding the broom next to Snape's when it all happened; he had seen the dismembered ear fall into the bushes, leaving a trail of blood hanging in the air. He had never seen the other three in this state, though he knew they were feeling the same pain as the three Weasleys were.

"Okay, Ginny, just lie there. I'll help you." He managed to turn a dusty table into a long, six-person bed complete with straps to hold people in place. He levitated Ginny first, followed by her brothers, Neville, Luna, and finally, Hermione. After that, it was just a matter of bringing them all down to the cellars, which proved to be harder than he thought. The passageway down winded this way and that, a spiral shape forming around one single, solitary post.

He made it down eventually, panting at the effort of winding around the makeshift stretcher. He deposited the still-shivering teens in their cells before making his way to Ginny, who was lying in her usual corner with tears spewed down her face.

"Ginny, I am so sorry that this happened. Are you okay? What can I help with? Do you need something?" He frantically rushed his hands over her, not able to do anything productive. Draco wasn't even sure Ginny had heard him when she finally spoke.

"Stop. It's not your fault."

"But, Ginny, it _is_. I could have gotten you out of here. I should have, forever ago. The second I found out you were here. But now you're like...like this. And I can't fix it." He looked down at Ginny, who was shaking her head more furiously now.

"I don't feel like fighting right now. Just accept it's not your fault. You can argue with me later. Understand?" Even when she was crimpled, Ginny was still in command.

"Fine. But at least let me help you. And this time I won't get in trouble for it. Orders. What hurts the most?" Draco knew this was a stupid question, for everything probably hurt right now, but he felt the need to ask before going to work.

"Everything." She groaned out, just the answer Draco was expecting. He set to work, wrapping every injured part of her in bandages and finally giving her a sleeping drought that he conjured from his bedroom.

"This should help. Just rest now. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." He whispered before shutting the cell door, leaving Ginny in a dark, eerie silence.

**

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Harry

The hallway leading into Hogwarts was straight, but dark and chopped up. Harry couldn't take one foot off the ground for fear that he would trip. The others seemed to realize this, too, because the only sound in the entire trip was the scuffling of shoes across uneven cement blocks.

From last time, Harry could tell when they were nearly halfway there, even though everything looked the same to the two other boys. A long crack extended down the entire height of the wall, almost as if it were made there to mark the hall in half: impending doom on one side, safety on the other. Of course, there also was friends on one half, matched with torment over his friends on the other. Harry knew which one mattered more, which was why he was bravely walking through the darkness, past the side of safety and onto impending doom.

**

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******

Draco

"What do _you_ want, Malfoy?" Draco shrugged off the witty comment made by the youngest Weasley boy and started towards him, whipping out his wand effortlessly. He pointed it at Ron a few times, twirling it this way and that, before he was finally bandaged properly. He placed a small vile on the ground and stood up again, pointing his wand at it. Instantly, the small container was filled with the same purplish liquid Ginny had just taken seconds ago.

"Sleeping drought. If you want. And I wouldn't try talking to Ginny for a while. She needs her sleep." He spun on his heel and headed to the door, stopping just in front of the door.

"Wait--" Draco took his hand off the door and took a step back, shocked that Ron actually was talking to him.

"Yes, Weasley?" He held back the urge to spit out the filthy name like he normally did, but stopped for Ginny's sake.

"Why the hell are you doing all this?"

"Orders." He replied. "Just orders."

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Harry

"Are you two sure you don't want to turn back now? I'll go on ahead alone, if you want." Harry asked. He hoped they couldn't hear the desperation in his voice for the trip to speed up and for his two friends to be out of harm's way.

"Harry, we're staying with you. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. Now, come on. I think it's just up here. I can see light." Harry sighed and continued down the sloping hallway, etching for the small ring of light that was his ticket to Ginny.

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Draco

Draco walked up the small, winding stairway again and heaved a sigh of relief when he was finally out of the foul-smelling dungeons and on the familiar brown floors of Hogwarts.

He started to climb the steps two at a time, figuring he would be able to leave sooner if he didn't dilly-dally. Once he could see the passageway into the room of requirements, Draco broke into a run, passing by the wall three times until it finally cracked open.

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Harry

"Are you two sure you're staying?" He took the final two steps until he was next to Bill and Charlie.

"Harry, shut up and help us open this door."

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**Duh Duh dddduuuuuuuuhhhhhh... Sorry for the cliff, but in case you didn't understand, Draco is in the room of requirements, right where Harry (who is dead), Bill, and Charlie are about to walk into. Review!! Only should be about 2 more chapters on this :( Sorry!! Well, hurry up and hit that small, purple button ****plzzzzzz!!**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


	14. Room of Requirements

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**Draco**

Draco slumped back in the nearest available seat, knowing he was in for a long, uneventful evening. Not even a rat crawled through the tunnel anymore. Members of the Order weren't just going to start on this very night. _Besides,_ he thought, _even if they did because of that shout-out, they would need at least a day to prepare. I shouldn't have to worry about this._

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Harry

The door finally cracked open silently on their third try. No one knew how Neville managed it, until they found the tiny handle just beneath where the frame was. Harry stepped through first, straightening up on the other side. The room looked just like it did last time he came; a full battle room, complete with plush bean bags and bathrooms. Except, there _was_ one difference.

"Malfoy?" The blonde boy jumped a mile in the air, grasping at his robes. He didn't make a peep, though he looked around the room as if someone were attacking him already. Harry knew what would happen once he became the normal Malfoy.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco's body became rigid, his legs and arms locked against his body, and he fell to the ground in a huge _thud_! Harry hoped the sound wouldn't attract anyone.

"How—why--where--" He gasped out through his open lips, the words coming out slurred. He couldn't even form a complete sentence out of shock. Finally, he managed to say, "Why aren't you dead?"

Harry almost laughed out loud at his enemy, who was shaking despite the curse.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked him, refusing to give Draco what he _wanted_ until he got what he _needed._

"I asked first. An answer for an answer?"

Harry nodded, lowering his wand. He hadn't even realized he had raised it until that moment. He took the body-bind off of Draco, thoughts running through his head at why _Draco_ _Malfoy_ would think of helping him, in a castle full of Death Eaters.

"I was never dead. Woke up a few days ago." Had it really been that short of time ago? "Now, Ginny?" Harry could feel eyes on the back of his head, and realized Bill and Charlie must have gotten out of the portrait.

"Ah, more Weasleys. She's down in the dungeons, though it'll be like a battlefield just to get down there. Every precaution is being taken. Why do you think I'm here?" He spread his arms wide and gestured to the filthy, dark Room of Requirements that had once been Harry's, and Draco's, home.

* * *

**Draco**

"How is she doing?" Harry felt himself moving closer to Draco, absorbing all this vital information. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small voice was telling him not to trust Draco, but he ignored that part, allowing his brain to be filled with thoughts of Ginny.

Draco started laughing, but stopped himself at the three boy's expressions. "I'm taking it you've been in Hogsmeade? You tell me how you think she's been doing while you've been hiding. The Dark Lord's not exactly making it a walk in the park for her, you know." He faintly remembered the first day he walked in Ginny's cell, before she was even tortured. According to her, the Dark Lord had tortured her enough by taking 'her' Harry away. He pushed that thought to the back of his head, focusing on Potter and his two redhead bodyguards. Was this how he looked with Goyle and Crabbe all those years?

Draco backed away from Harry, who was stepping forward towards the door.

"Where the hell are you going? You'll get yourself killed." Draco was surprised the words were coming out of his mouth. Though he knew all he cared about was getting Ginny to safety, and whether that was at the hands of him or Potter didn't matter.

"I'm going to get her. And why do _you_ care, Malfoy?" He obviously didn't feel the same way. Draco thought of the most logical excuse he could find on such short notice.

"Watching her has been keeping me in the castle. I don't have to go out on patrol each night. Instead, I get to sit here and relax." There, that sounded like something a non-love struck Malfoy would say. Harry scoffed and turned back to the door. Draco could see the two eldest Weasleys contemplating their situation. They stood in the dead center of the two fighting boys, glancing at each one before turning towards each other. Draco figured that 'twin telepathy' thing worked on all members of their family, not only the twins.

"Harry, as much as I have to admit it, I think _Malfoy_ is right." Draco cringed at the way he said his name; it was almost if he were blaming Draco and not Potter for what happened. Harry stopped dead in his tracks, spinning around to face his friends and obviously not looking at Draco on purpose.

"What? How the hell can you think he's even telling us the truth? We shouldn't believe a word he says, and you're going to follow his _battle plan?_" Harry was almost yelling, though in a whisper, so his voice sounded hoarse and if he hadn't talked in years.

"Harry, it's the only chance we have. We have to trust Draco."

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**Sorry, this one's a little shorter than the others, but I haven't updated in so long and I figured I should get something out, and I had a good cliffhanger so I decided something's better than nothing. I'm almost done with it, and I'm working so hard to make the last few chapters REALLY REALLY good. Well, review please! I'm getting depressed b/c I'm only getting like 2 reviews a chapter, and that's not too big coming from a story that got at least 8 a chapter. So please, don't do it for me, do it to beat my other stories!! this one's currently in second to last place of my active stories (with reviews). **


	15. Draco Malfoy

**Ok, sorry, this one's like really short. I haven't been having a lot of time to write and I have just been trying to put out as many parts as I can just so no one's waiting for like 3 weeks for one chapter when I could be separating it into like 4 over the 3 weeks. But I will post another one soon. I'm working on it as fast as my hands can type!!**

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Draco's POV

The Weasleys were...trusting me? I almost fell over in shock, but hoped no one noticed.

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Harry

Ha, ha. Draco just fell over from shock.

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Draco's POV

"Are...are you serious?" I thought Potter had spoken, but everyone looked at me, even him.

"Yes. You obviously care enough for _something_ to not lie to us. You could have called for every Death Eater in the castle by now, or not told us where Ginny is. But you did, so you have something to gain." _Someone_ I corrected mentally, and then turned to look at the one that spoke. He had long hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and a fang earring, probably just a dragon's toenail clippings.

"Bill, you have to be joking. Do you know who this is? Bloody hell! This is _Draco Malfoy_! You aren't serious." Potter was going to wake the entire grounds talking like this.

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HARRY'S POV

_They can't be serious! They just can't be! _

"Bill, you have to be joking. Do you know who this is? Bloody hell! This is _Draco Malfoy_! You aren't serious." I started pacing, walking back and forth in front of the door. I knew it probably would be a good idea to get Draco's help, but this was _my_ rescue mission. I wasn't going to let him screw it up by double-crossing us.

"Harry, just accept it. We need his help." No, what I needed was a way to get him out of this plan.

"And if he's lying? Who knows he's not just waiting to see what's in it for him?" Bill thought for a second, while Charlie threw death-glares at Draco. Malfoy looked at me, shock flooding his face.

"Then all the Death Eaters will know he even _thought_ of helping us. That won't help him one bit." Said Charlie, without even looking up from Draco's face, which was now a sickly shade of green.

"And if this is all planned?" Bill shot me a look, which I suppose was meant to get me to shut up.

"How the bloody hell could they have done that? They think you're dead, and no one thinks anyone is going to go through that portrait, not with Death Eaters patrolling the street. If it weren't for the cloak and ignorant Death Eaters, none of us would be here right now. Harry, just trust him. If he does _anything_," He added, looking at Draco, "then we'll take care of him, _personally_." Draco flinched, and I saw something behind his eyes that I had never seen before: fear. He was being honest.

I flopped down on one of the couches and folded my arms across my chest, not wanting to look like I completely trusted him. I didn't, not really. But I needed to trust him to get to Ginny.

"Good. Now, Draco, tell us everything you know about the castle."

* * *

**Once again, I'm sorry its so short. Looking it over now, I really realize parts I wanted to be a good line or two don't even make half a line. I'll write quick, promise. I have it all written in my head, if that helps :)**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


	16. Ginny's Cell

**HARRY & DRACO**

They finished getting informed within the hour, Draco finally slumping back in the chair and Harry still pacing, where he had been for the past sixty minutes.

"Wow." Bill and Charlie looked at each other, and then Harry.

"You still up for it?" Harry nodded without looking up.

"I don't think you all should go." Charlie stood up, ready to fight if he needed to in order to keep Harry safe. Ginny was counting on this. "Hold on. I think four will be too conspicuous. Maybe just Draco and me." Harry looked out of the corner of his eye to see Bill nod to Charlie. Relief swarmed him. Harry had been contemplating this decision since Draco had started talking. They were the only two-possibly in the history of the school-who knew it this much. They knew it the best. It was something both of them had to do.

"Will you two be alright going alone?" Harry scoffed at the idea. He had been doing this for the past seven years. One more trip wouldn't matter.

"I will. What about you, Potter?" Harry nodded, though he didn't know why he needed to. It was obvious that he was going with or without Draco.

"Then let's go."

* * *

**GINNY**

Ginny threw a chip of rock at the wall. It hit the other stone with a definite _clunk_ before falling lamely on the cement ground. Suddenly, the young girl found herself more annoyed than when she started.

More annoyed that there was nothing in this cell to take her anger off of her new 'life'. She chuckled without any emotion. Her life was now sitting in a cell and getting tortured. She would rather go back in her empty zombie-state and cry her eyes off. Being helpless and crying was better than being helpless and not able to cry about it.

"Gins, are you okay?" Ginny turned to look at Ron, who was peeking his head out of the small hole. His red hair was the only part of him that was noticeable, though his skin was getting paler from not being outdoors and from their recent torture session.

"Same as always. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Malfoy came in here. Said you were worse off than all of us." Of course, Draco. She knew she had woken up, but didn't think she would ever be able to close her eyes again.

"That little prat. He poisoned me?"

"Potioned you." Ron corrected. _As_ _if_ _it_ _matters_.

"So what else did he say?" She asked, trying to take her mind off the hate raging inside of her. She didn't want to be given the release of sleep, not when half the members of the Order could be barging into the school right now to protect her.

She didn't want to yell out. She couldn't unless she wanted to be the cause of even more trouble. But the pain had been too much.

"Nothing else. Wrapped everyone up and gave us the potion. Then walked out." Ginny could see that he shrugged and rolled his eyes, even in complete darkness.

"Oh." Strange enough, she was disappointed that he hadn't stayed.

* * *

**DRACO & HARRY**

The two boys stepped into the darkness, hidden underneath the safety of the invisibility cloak. Harry felt at ease as he wandered through the halls of Hogwarts under his old cloak. It was familiar: déjà vu.

The only thing that worried him was what they would find down in the dungeons. Would Ginny still be alright, or would they be too late? Even if she wasn't, would she want to talk to him? Or would she blame him for leaving her, for putting her in such a deep pit of disaster?

"You nervous or something?" Harry turned to Draco, who was waiting for Harry to facebookwalking. He hadn't realized he had stopped.

"Why would I be?" He kept on walking, though his mind was changing as fast as his heart beat.

"Doubting if she'll like you anymore." _Wow, he's good at that._ thought Harry. He really hadn't given Draco enough credit.

"No." Harry said, both to himself and to Draco. "I trust her to choose whichever way's best." He doubted how he would handle himself if she _did_ leave, but it was best for her. Whether or not he benefited from it didn't matter.

"And you'll be fine with--"

"Shhhhh." Harry pointed ahead of the two boys, to where a hooded figure was walking towards them.

"Rookwood!" Harry's stomach lurched as he saw the man walk by him, the man that killed his friend. Draco grasped Harry's arm, though his nails dug deeper and deeper into the flesh than he intended. That was the man who tortured Ginny all those times, who made her do things that even Draco thought was hideous, things that even the Slytherin Sex God thought was disgusting. He had to hold himself back as well as Harry.

After what felt like hours, Rookwood passed without even a backwards glance. Harry and Draco stalked down the hall, wanting to put as much space between them and Rookwood as possible in the few minutes. Without passing another person, Harry and Draco made it to the stairs leading down to the dungeon. Neither one wanted to go first.

"I guess we'd batter go." Draco felt his foot drop down one step, his other foot following it. Harry trailed behind him.

"Hey, what are we going to do once we're down there?" Draco unhelpfully shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought you had a plan."

"Winging it, alright." Harry didn't really care about a plan; he never used one, or needed it. Plans always seemed like such an inconvenience, and a waste of time.

Hey got to the end of the stairway, Draco stopping to reluctantly allow Harry to go first. They got to the end of the corridor, stopping one door before the solid wall.

"Here we go."

* * *

Harry stepped through the door first, glancing around the empty cell.

"Ginny?" His voice came out horse, and cracked twice in that one word, one name, one love.

A groaning came from the corner. Harry stepped farther into the cell, swinging open the door to allow more light in. He lit the end of his wand, swinging its light back and forth across the small room. It was empty.

"Well, Mr. Potter. Looking for this?" Harry spun around to see Ginny, suspended in the air and tied with ropes, struggling against their bind. And under her, stood…

**

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**

Like it?? Tell me :) I'll take any guesses at who it should be because I think I know but I'm not sure if I'm going to make it him/her...not gonna let my guess slip...

sccrdiva303

xoxoxoxoxoxo


	17. Decisions

Draco slumped back against the wall, hiding like a coward under the invisibility cloak. A fight was going around in his head, and Draco felt himself moving forward and then backwards, changing direction with each thought.

_He's got Ginny._

_You're not supposed to be on her side._

_But he could hurt her. _

_Who knows what could happen to you if you're caught?_

_It would be my fault if she's hurt. I'm supposed to save her._

_No, that's Potters job._

_He's no help._

Draco was growing weary from stepping forward and back, though he had to hold himself against the wall to not move closer to Ginny. Just to stroke her cheek and tell her everything is alright would be enough for him.

But she was standing way too close to her attacker, and Draco was sure she would call out or be petrified from fright if she felt a ghost under Harry's invisibility cloak, when he was standing right in front of her.

She probably already thought she was going crazy, seeing Harry when he was "dead". Draco thought he was, too, and he had walked and talked with Harry the entire way down into the dungeons.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand flew from his hand and landed not even a foot from Draco. Another decision to make. _To grab the wand, or not to grab the wand. That is the question._ Draco thought, reciting a line from a supposed muggle book. Only true wizards knew the author was a wizard, and hadn't even written the book himself. That must have been where Professor Lockhart got his ideas from.

_Idiot! Why the bloody hell are you thinking about books at a time like this?_

Again, Draco was inching closer to the wand, and then back away. He was watching the scene before him unfold, though it was an outer-body experience, like he was watching it on a television rather than right in front of him.

"Well, well. You've outdone yourself this time, Mr. Potter. Faking death. How...gutsy." Harry's back stiffened as the man circled his back, though he did not turn around to face his attacker head-on. He was too busy looking at Ginny, making sure she was safe. Every once in a while, Harry's eyes would dart over to where Draco stood hiding, as if he were trying to tell Ginny of his part in the saving. It didn't seem to register in her eyes.

"Ironic, kind of. You'd think Death Eaters would check if their worst enemy was dead, wouldn't you? I figured after the first time, you would have learned your lesson. Having someone with everything to gain check if I'm dead. Even a first-year could work out why that was stupid." He tut-tutted, keeping his cool even when he was practically staring death right in the face.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, I wouldn't think like that. We Death Eaters have learned our lesson, you see. And it's quite confident of you to point out that fact while we have your girlfriend bound and gagged, floating feet off the ground. And I, with the wand controlling her. What a shame." He rounded Harry for a third time, and then advanced on Ginny, who wobbled around in her bindings, screaming though it wasn't worth the effort.

Even if she could manage a sound, it still wouldn't be heard all the way on the main floor. Of course, no one was even on that floor. They were all in the common rooms, little first years drifting off to sleep and seventh-years playing exploding snap, trying to lighten the mood. Draco highly doubted any of that nonsense would help their predicament.

"How right you are. You, in fact, are the one holding the wand. And you _do, _in fact, have Ginny hanging there like a small rag doll. But there are two things that tell me you're not going to kill me right now." The man's face dropped down a little, but he recovered quickly, and if Draco had not been standing in front of him, he would have thought Harry's words didn't mean anything to him.

"And what would those be?" He asked politely, though there was a twinge of mocking in the man's voice.

"One, your master. Voldemort." The man turned and advanced on the boy.

"How _dare_ you speak his name with your dirty lips." Harry shrugged it off, appearing cool as a cucumber, though Draco could see a hint of fear beneath his eyes.

"Are you finished?" He didn't wait for a reply. "As I was saying, Voldemort likes to play fair. You saw the damage he did when I was dead, the first two times I might add. Well, I believe I would get my wand back the second I stepped into the same room as him. After that, it would be as easy as the last eight times. So you're entire taking away my wand thing, bad idea." Once again, fear wound through Draco as he saw the man curdle in anger, though he seemed fine the next second.

"And two, he has obviously kept Ginny alive for a reason." Now it was Ginny's turn to cringe in fright. "He didn't know I was alive, so what would he keep her alive for? So unless you want to die, I would suspect you are not going to kill her. That leaves me with the ability to walk out of here, wand in hand, if I would like. But I won't." He tacked on the last part quickly, his eyes smiling with enthusiasm. It wasn't much, but it gave both Draco and Ginny hope.

"And why would you not take your own freedom and run?"

"I want to take Ginny home. And the others. Their parents are worried, you know." Oh, Draco knew. He had to see the families firsthand, keeping a lookout for any hint of revolt. They never did. They were too busy crying.

"Well, then I'm sorry you wasted a trip down here. The others aren't in the dungeons anymore. You see, a misshaped brick allowed all the captives to talk to each other. We couldn't have that. It may have given them hope." He snickered at the last part. How could that have happened? Draco had just brought them downstairs a few hours ago. Had they really found out about Harry when he first came?

Panic coursed through Draco. If they knew about Harry, that meant they knew of Draco's part in this plan. He already was caught. He was going to be killed anyways. There was nothing left to loose.

With that thought, Draco tore off Harry's invisibility cloak, surprising Ginny as he thought. Recognition flashed on Harry's face, though he didn't say anything. The sole true Death Eater was facing away from Draco.

"Expelliarmus!" another wand went flying across the room. Draco accio'd the two wands to him, handing one to Harry. Ginny fell with a _thump_ behind him.

"Woops. Sorry, Ginny." She glowered at him, but otherwise didn't say--or try to say--anything. Harry ran over to her, untying the knots with his wand while running his fingers through her red, tangled hair.

"What the hell's going on?" She whispered once free. Harry took her in his arms and whispered, "I'll explain later." in her ear. She nodded and took the wand Draco was holding out to her. Now it was three to one.

"Hello, father."

**thanks so much to EmeraldFire512 for helping me. I was either gonna have Lucius, Rookwood or Voldemort but I wasnt sure which 1. So thanks!! Im finishing this quickly so I can get back to my other stories. Sorry if the chapters seem short but I'm trying to pump these out b/c i don't get a lot of reviews on this story and want to get back to one that people like REALLY care about. So, if u like this a lot and don't want to see Harry die like for real just to get this story finished, plz review!! **


	18. Voldemort

**I think the next chapters going to be the last one :( but I want to say thanks to the two reviewers that responded within a few hours of me posting! I'm writing a new chapter tonight so I can have it up without leaving anyone yelling about the cliffs. So, here it is:**

* * *

Lucius' face dropped at sight of his son.

"I should have known you would do something stupid and heroic, but _this_? Helping blood traitors break out of confinement from the Dark Lord himself? And not only just the girl. No, you went for the whole lot of them." More fear coursed through Draco's vanes than he ever thought possible. He was _finally_ standing up to his father, he was the one with the wand, and he was going to die.

"This isn't right. They did nothing more than live. It's the Dark Lord that did the wrong. Killing innocent people to gain an advantage. Look at Dumbledore. He got to the top by gaining friends, trust, and loyalty. Why couldn't he just do what Dumbledore did?" Lucius scoffed at his son.

"You killed Dumbledore. He was old, decrepit. The Dark Lord has many more long years to live. Even without his horocruxes." Harry nodded once to Ginny, who was staring at him intently with her--well, Lucius'--wand still shoved in Lucius' face.

"_Later."_ She mouthed to him. He once again nodded. Ginny turned back to her attacker. Draco still hadn't said anything.

"So, what's going to happen? Are you going to kill me, Draco? You, who couldn't even kill an old headmaster, kill your own father. Funny." Draco's face fell a few more inches. Soon it would be touching the ground.

"Actually, I think we were planning on leaving you here, letting your _master_ decide the punishment. It'll be a lot worse than the two of us could think up, I promise you that." Draco flashed Harry a thankful glance, and quickly turned back to his father before he was caught. _Idiot. You have him at wand point. There's nothing he can do to you now._ The scars on his back said different, but Draco ignored them and focused on not allowing his hands to shake.

"Petrificus Totalus. Stupefy." Harry took Ginny's hand and put his other one on Draco's shoulder, steering him away from his father. They walked out the door, moving to Luna and Neville's cell to make sure Lucius was telling the truth. He was.

"So, where to?" Harry started to think, but Ginny and Draco had already said: "Headmaster's office." They'd been there one too many times in the past few days. Harry didn't let go of Ginny's hand as he walked towards the stairs. She was the one to pull away.

"Hold on a second." She ran back into her old cell, Lucius' wand in hand.

"Tarantallegra." Lucius instantly broke into a dance, looking like a cheerful schoolgirl. Ginny turned around, laughing, and jogged back to where Harry and Draco were standing. She grasped Harry's hand in hers and once again started up the stairs.

"How'd you learn that?"

"You pick up a lot of things when you're dancing every night. I've been waiting to use that one for ages." Harry nodded, stunned, and walked up the stairs with her, Draco bringing up the rear.

"So, are you going to explain?" Harry burst out into an entire explanation of the past few nights, skipping the part where he outsmarted Bill and Charlie. He owed them that much. Ginny wouldn't let them forget it if he told her.

"Wow." They were halfway through the castle by the time Harry finished his story. Him and Ginny were hidden underneath the invisibility cloak with Draco walking in front of them, watching for any unwanted visitors while they were still talking.

"So this isn't a dream?" Harry shook his head, though he doubted she would be convinced either way. Any dream-Harry would say it wasn't, for the sake of Ginny.

"So tell me about here. I heard it wasn't the best?" He didn't want to bring it up, but if this was the last few minutes they had together, he wanted to know what he caused.

"It got bad after a while, but we cut out a brick from the wall so we could all talk." Ginny talked about her time in the castle—or prison—the rest of the time. By the time she finished talking about Lucius taking her and the others out of their cells, they had reached the stone gargoyle.

"Uh..."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry watched Draco as he stepped forward onto the creature's winding footsteps. Ginny went next, followed by Harry.

"Now, are you sure the others are in here?" Draco nodded before knocking on the door. It swung open slowly, creaking like every door in the scary movies Harry used to watch.

"Yes?" Harry and Ginny snuck in behind Draco, just missing the path of the door. Along the back of the wall, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and George hung by their thumbs off rusty chains: Filch's favorite method. Each of them were slumped over from exhaustion, their eyes half-opened. Ron and Hermione looked up at Draco's arrival, but the others didn't. Harry started to fear that he was too late for them. Thankfully, within the few seconds it took Draco to walk up to the chair placed in the middle of the room, George's eyes fluttered open and Neville groaned. Only one more person to go.

Luna didn't move, though Harry kept hope she was still well. He wouldn't kill her and not the others.

"Yes, Draco?"

"Sir, I've finished guarding the Room of Requirements. Nothing was out of the ordinary there." He stammered, falling to his knees a yard from the chair.

"Good. You may leave." He waved Draco out of the room, not looking up from his pet snake, which was draped over Voldemort's shoulders and resting on his armrest.

"S-sir, if I may, why are the prisoners up here and not down in the dungeons?" Harry noticed how Draco's eyes fluttered for a second to where Harry and Ginny stood before looking back down to the carpet.

"Lucius found a hole between the cells. He's repairing it now." Draco's eyes filled with regret as he looked down to the ground, but he blinked it away and focused on saving Ginny. _And the others._ He added as an afterthought, though he knew if it were up to him, they would already be in Egypt, hiding out.

"Shouldn't he be done by now?" Draco asked, though he knew it was way going passed the invisible respect line Voldemort liked to force upon them.

"That is none of your business, Draco. Now, leave." He added forcefully. Draco lingered around a little bit longer, kissing Voldemort's robe hem before slowly turning towards the door. They were lucky today; no one had burst in the entire time.

Suddenly, Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand and at the ground where Draco stood. He swept it up the second its tip touched the ground, and turned to his master, who was now confounded, glancing around the room as if a ghost had just slapped him. Come to think of it, Harry probably did.

"Who-who's there?" Draco pointed his wand at his master, pocketing the other one. He recognized it as Dumbledore's, stolen straight from his casket. He would have to return it.

Harry whipped off the cloak, leaving it draped over Ginny's shoulder as he advanced closer to the man that haunted so many of his nightmares, killed so many of his friends and family. This was the man--no, beast--he wanted to kill. Voldemort was no longer a man.

But he was not going to kill Voldemort tonight. No, he was going to allow the people to do it. They deserved to punish him, just like he had done to all of them. Especially the members of the Order.

"Ah, Harry Potter." Voldemort straightened up, draping his cloak neatly over his small frame. He was now standing. "Tell me, how did you avoid my plan this time? I suspected you dead." Harry shrugged. Draco noticed he did that to a lot of questions. Without Dumbledore, he didn't know much.

"Just did. I would have checked for a pulse if I were you." He was about to say 'next time' but he knew there wouldn't be a next time. Voldemort's face pulled back into a kind of smile, though it looked more like a grimace.

"Too right you are, Harry. Next time I shall have to remember that. Thank you. Now, shall we skip all the witty banter and go straight to the fighting?"

"There's not going to be any fighting. I have a wand, you don't. Or have you forgotten, I don't play as fair as you. Especially not after this." He gestured to where Ron and Hermione were lying on the ground, limp from exhaustion, and where Ginny was still lowering George next to them. They all seemed tired, but living.

"Small sacrifices, Harry. That's what it takes to become famous. And I believe you've forgotten something. Accio wand!" he pointed towards where Draco stood, though nothing happened.

"Ah, you have invested your time to find out how to block those, have you not, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco nodded slightly. The move looked like a twitch to Harry, though he knew what deal of courage that took to just move an inch.

"Well, well. You two should have joined up years ago. I knew you would revolt, Draco, though I didn't know it would be this soon. What poor Lucius must think." Ginny's smile widened as she started unbinding Luna from the window and placing her on the ground, slumped next to George's shoulder.

"Miss Weasley has taken care of him already, hasn't she?"

"Yes, I have. It was quite a joy if I do say so myself." _Wow!_ Harry and Draco thought at the same time. _Where the hell did she get the courage to speak to him like that?_

"Revenge is the sweetest kind of punishment, yes. Well, I'm sorry Mr. Potter, and Mr. Malfoy, but your plot is once again foiled." He picked up one finger and drew it towards his forearm. Both the boys knew what would happen.

"Stupefy!" Voldemort wiped away Harry's curse, but both Draco and Ginny had shot curses at him. Ginny's hit him across the face, and Draco's hit him square on the chest. Voldemort fell flat on his back, a cold, stone lump. Just like his heart.

"We should call the Order." Everyone nodded.

"Hold on!" Harry called as Ginny went to walk past a limp Voldemort. She froze in her tracks and turned towards her boyfriend.

"What?"

"Don't underestimate him." Draco pointed his wand stiffer at his master's chest as Harry walked forward to check Voldemort's skin. He knew what effects the stupefy curse had on its victims, one of which was cold, rock hard skin.

With a shaking hand, Harry bent down and pressed against Voldemort's extended arm. It was like ice.

"He's out cold."

* * *

**Like I said, the next chapters probably going to be my last one and then I can say i have one story down, 4 more to go!! lol so get ur reviews in if u want anything maybe added to the story that's not like an entire five chapters worth. Any questions can be up, too, b/c it is a little confusing this chapter. So, thanks for reading. One more chappie to go :(**

**sccrdiva303**

**xoxoxoxoxo**


	19. The End

**Ok, this is the LAST chapter sob I hope you all like:**

* * *

Harry wrapped an arm tightly around Ginny's waist as twenty people shot through the fireplace at once. He could already see people as they ran from the apparation point outside the Hogwarts grounds into the castle. Some flew. Harry could see two red-headed figures running so fast, the woman was practically falling down the hill, though she kept on running, helped by her husband.

"Are you ready for all of this?" Ginny thought for a moment, and then nodded against Harry's chest.

"I'll have to get this over with sooner or later. Might as well be when I'm with you." Harry stroked back her hair and kissed her forehead. He missed the feeling of her in his arms.

"Ginny! Ronald! George!" Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed through the doors, running towards their children. Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron while Mrs. Weasley fussed over George. Ginny looked up at Harry before he pushed her lightly towards the pile of Weasleys. Bill and Charlie stood off to the side, having already said hello to Ginny, Ron and George. Mrs. Weasley put her hand up to them, and both boys collapsed on the ground next to their family.

Next, a woman came through the window where her broom was floating in midair, throwing herself at Neville. Harry expected she was his grandmother. She wore the same red handbag and ugly green dress as Harry remembered a bogart Snape wearing in their third year. Even her hat was the same.

Finally, Xenophilius Lovegood came bustling out of the fireplace, glancing at Harry with an apologetic smile before falling to his knees in front of Luna.

Harry felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't, like he should be outside. He had to fight back the pang of longing to have someone hug him like Mrs. Weasley was doing to Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley intertwined him in a hug, crushing him almost as if Hagrid was hugging him. "We all thought you were dead! Oh, you have no idea how worried we were about all of you. And then, to come here and see all of you so healthy, oh!" She collapsed. Harry had to catch her and lower her slowly to the ground. He kneeled down next to her and hugged her, allowing the woman he thought of as his mother to cry on his shoulder.

"Okay, enough with all this crying. Come on, up all of you. We're going to St. Mungos. Come on. You, too, Bill, Charlie, Harry. Draco." She added. Harry turned to Draco. He had almost forgotten the other boy was there.

Draco was busy watching the Order members take off Voldemort's body, sealed in a cocoon of water.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. Now, let's go." Mrs. Weasley stepped forward and guided the two boys by the arm, with Ginny rushing forward to meet with Harry and Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, George, Bill, and Charlie slumping after them, followed up by Mr. Weasley, Mr. Lovegood, and Ms. Longbottom. Draco still hadn't wiped the shocked expression from his face once they floo'd to the hospital, being met with bored-looking healers.

"I'm sorry. We can't help anyone. We're not allowed." No one even bothered to get up, though everyone's expressions became more sullen. They obviously didn't like doing nothing.

"Not no more, yeah ain't." Harry turned to look where the voice came from. From the front entrance came a man. Well, he was way more than a man. He was the size of two men at least, both width way and height. A strangled mass of hair stuck to his face, and beetle-black eyes shone from beneath all the hair.

"Hagrid!" Harry ran at Hagrid as the half-giant ran towards him, crushing Harry in a bone-shattering hug.

"I thought you were dead."

"I thought I was never going to see you again." Harry spoke from beneath Hagrid's huge moleskin coat.

"An' Molly, Arthur, boys! Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna!" Hagrid ran forward, Harry jogging back with him. He first swept the girls in a hug, and then the boys, patting everyone on the back as they backed away from him, rubbing their sore arms.

Harry noticed that, once again, Draco was on the outside looking in. he edged around the circle of one huge family and to his--friend's--side.

"One hell of a night, huh?" Draco nodded his head and put his hand in his robe pockets.

"Hard to think this all happened in one day; you scaring the bloody hell out of me in the room of requirements, fighting my father, knocking out the most dangerous wizard in the world, seeing…_this_." He pointed to the family of Weasleys, who were explaining the joyous news to a couple of female healers, who were hopping up and down excitingly with their hands over their mouths.

"Yeah. Kind of makes you think what the rest of life's going to be like. Think we'll ever get a day that's more exciting than this?" Draco shrugged.

"When you and Ginny get married." Harry was dumbfounded from Draco's openness.

"what do you mean?"

"It's just a matter of time. Look at you two. You've been through too much together. Trust me, I had to hear her whine about you for the past weeks. Anyways, you should see who's in the bathroom next time you want to talk about something like that." Malfoy walked away to the healer, who was waving for the two boys to follow the families into separate rooms.

Harry stood in place, thinking over Draco's words. _He knew. He knew I was going to ask Ginny to marry me. Bloody hell._

"Wait! Wait!" Harry ran after Draco, who was being shown into a room by a young female healer. Draco stopped outside the door, and a fed-up healer turned around to lead Ginny into a room, who was being supported by her father. She was growing dizzy from all the excitement on such an empty stomach, mixed with the still-growing pain from being tortured so much the night before.

"What? I think we're pissing off the healers, you know."

"Does she know?" He whispered, low enough where Ginny couldn't hear.

"No. I figured it would give her false hope. You know, like what could have been." Harry nodded his head and slapped his friend on the back before following Ginny into her room, where Molly was carrying trays of ham sandwiches into each of the children's rooms. She lied the platter at Ginny's side table, where she began devouring them one by one.

"When was the last time you ate, dear?" Molly's face looked as if it were permanently etched in a worried expression.

"Uh…four days ago, maybe?" Molly's face grimaced while she pushed more sandwiches towards her daughter, allowing the plate to refill after every sandwich. So that it never ran out. After her fourth., Ginny pushed the plate away.

"Mom, I'm fine. Promise. Nothing a little bit of sleep and a healing potion won't help." Mrs. Weasley still looked unsure, but left to go find a healer, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.

"Are you sure _you're_ alright?" Harry looked up at Ginny. She looked down on him with worry flooding her eyes.

"Gin, I went so long without seeing you. I thought I'd be happier than this. Voldemort's dead, mostly everyone's well, and the world is care-free again. Why aren't I happy?" It was true; Harry had seen Voldemort be carried out of the office, members of the Order promising to kill Nagini and him as soon as they were back at Headquarters.

"Harry, you'll never be truly happy until you realize what this all means. Let it sink in a little." Harry nodded. He knew Ginny was right. But all he wanted right then was to be with her, not to think of his life after this.

He looked out the window at the falling rain, which just started pouring over the grounds. It was like the weather was feeling what he felt, crying when he wanted to cry so much. Only this time, they would be tears of joy. Everyone was together and healthy, Voldemort was no longer causing mayhem, and Ginny was back to her normal, happy self. Everything was back to normal.

All was well.

* * *

**Well, hope you all like the ending. I may write a sequel to this one, which will b the wedding, but that will be much later. I'll post an update on here if I decide, so just look out for this story or one that says its a sequel. So sad to be leaving this one, but I'll get working on my others sooner, too. Review (for the last time...)**


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